Slave Days
by Rafie Carlos
Summary: My name is Valenia Valdera. I'm a slave. I've been through alotta crap and, frankly, I'm tired of it. I want to escape and become a hunter. I don't want to be bound to anyone anymore. I've had it! If anyone gets in my way, I'll murder 'em. Brutally. LeorioXOC. I DON'T OWN HUNTER X HUNTER OR ANY OF ITS AWESOME CHARACTERS.
1. Prologue

**This is just a fanfic I made that SHOULD prevent me from becoming a LeoPika fan. After, re-reading it, I realized it is pretty effective. So, now I've decided to post it. But, this isn't really a prologue. It's "FAQs and other stupid things to ask my OC!" Now, without further ado, here are Gon, Killua, Kurapika, and the old man!**

"Damn it, Rafie! Stop calling me that!" Leorio screamed, peeking through the curtain.

**I can't help it. You DO look like an old man you know.**

"But-" he began, walking out to the stage with the other three.

**Anyway! Here's me original character... VALENIA!**

"Hiii!" Valenia said, waving at the everyone as she ran onto stage.

**A'ight, here's how this works: I give four of you (canon characters) some cards with questions written on it. Then, you ask Valenia, here, the questions because I am too lazy to do it myself.**

Gon took the card and read aloud: "Okay… it says, "What's your name?"

"Are you serious?"

**It's the first thing I could think of.**

"Name's Valenia Valdera." she replied.

"Age?" Kurapika asked, looking bored out of his mind.

"I'm 16."

"Occupation?" Leorio asked.

"I'm a slave." Valenia said, groaning. She saw her master in the audience and stuck her tongue out at him. He grinned at her. After which, she decided to ignore him.

"Hometown?" Killua spoke up.

"Altaria," Valenia began, "The land of the rich,"

"Weapon of choice?"

"Bladed Boomerang,"

Special talents?

"Uh… I play guitar?" she answered uncertainly.

"Any love interests? Hehehehe…" Leorio asked, a giant grin on his face.

"Rafie, are you frickin' serious?" Valenia asked, exasperated. She was blushing too...

**Hey, hey, just answer it!.. And don't kill me...**

"Fine. No comment."

"WHAT?" Leorio sank to the ground, sad as ever.

"Gotten to third base yet? Maybe even a home run?" Killua grinned, trying to stifle a laugh.

**OKAY, I DID NOT WRITE THAT.**

Valenia's face turned bright red. "KILLUA!.. Gah! I'm outta here." And at that, she went backstage.

**Well, I suppose that's enough. Enjoy the fanfiction. (Killua, get over here! I'm SO gonna kill you!)**

Killua ran backstage, laughing his head off.

"What's third base..?" Gon asked, looking up at Leorio and Kurapika.

"You don't need to know, Gon. Let's go." Kurapika walked backstage with Gon, close behind him.

"Oi, wait up!"

* * *

**Rafie: I'd like to thank Nispedana for warning me and also blame him/her for scaring me. Enjoy the fanfiction! Don't forget to review!**

**By the way, there's a link to Val's concept art on my profile. Go check it out! :D**


	2. The Real Prologue

**OC: Valenia Valdera**

**Age: 16**

**Hometown: Altaria; land of the rich**

**Occupation: Slave**

**"Be free, or die."**

* * *

**Rafie: Okay, here's the real prologue. Enjoy!**

Another scream came from the dark basement below.

I tossed and turned, unable to get away. The whip landed on my back again, creating another wound. I screamed again, unable to stop the tears from flowing down my face.

"You are my slave." Master Xaphan said, taking the hot engraver from the scorching fire. "Mine and only mine."

I shook my head furiously when he brought the engraver close to my chest.

"Please, Master, no… I promise I won't disobey you again." I pleaded desperately.

"You'd better make sure, slave." the engraver made contact with my chest and I screamed even louder.

**I know, really short. But the first chapter's coming in a matter of minutes (maybe) so… stay? Just for a while?**

**Review please!**


	3. The Slave Girl

**Rafie: Here's chapter one. Enjoy!**

* * *

"Are you sure you have everything you need, Valenia?" asked Sophilia, the maid who's raised me ever since I was a child. She was practically my mother.

"Yes, Miss Sophilia." I said happily, placing my bladed boomerang securely in its case, which hung on my right arm.

"Once Master Xaphan finds out you're gone, he'll start using that collar on you. Sophilia warned me.

"But, don't worry, Val. We'll stall him as long as we can." said Feldar, giving me a thumbs-up. Feldar was my only friend. He's Sophilia's son. We're like true siblings.

I smiled. "Thank you so much, you guys." I said, reaching out to hug both of them.

"Good luck, my dear, Valenia."

"Make sure you'll be a hunter when you get back!" Feldar exclaimed.

I nodded, then dashed toward the docks.

* * *

"I want that boat." I told the merchant, pointing at the sail boat at the far end of the lineup.

"That'll be five-hundred bucks, kid." said the merchant, extending his hand at me. I took a pouch of coins from my pocket and handed it over to him.

"That's five-hundred, exactly."

"I'll be the judge of that, kid." the merchant retorted, opening the pouch and counting the coins inside. Once he was done, he beckoned me to follow him. The merchant led me to the sail boat and untied the rope that held the vessel in place. "It's all yours, kid." he said to me, tossing the pouch of coins in his hand.

I hopped on the boat and raised the sails. My boat charged forward, letting the wind and the water carry it. "Let's see…" I murmured, studying the map that I stole from one of the Master's drawers. "By now, the ship should be at Whale Island. So if I go fast enough, I might reach it halfway through its course." I sighed. So, I'm relying on luck to get me to the Hunter Exam? I thought. I must be really desperate.

The sun was rising now. I stared at it, studying it's placement carefully. "It must be about six in the morning. One hour until the master gets up." I tugged at the dark collar that was strapped to my neck. "I wonder what this thing does." For some reason, I could never get the collar off. No matter how hard I tried. The Master put it on me when it was my birthday. He told me that it was proof that I was his slave, along with the family crest that he engraved on my chest. Which reminds me…

I took my sweater off and looked at the Diablo family crest in disgust. I, then, took Feldar's lighter from my pocket and lit it. I took a deep breathe and started to burn the skin off my chest so that the crest would finally disappear. Unable to bear the pain, I started to cry, muttering curse words under my breath. When I was finally finished, I felt the skin on my chest. It was rough. And I was sure that the seal was gone. Finally.

I lay down on the floor of the boat for a while, daydreaming.

Miss Sophilia would always tell me stories about a world where people like my Master Xaphan didn't exist. She told me that the people were kind. They were people who didn't believe in slavery or torture.

Her stories led me to thinking of some sort of plan that'll get us out of there. But, I thought it was no use. Then I found out about the Hunter Exam. They say only a chosen few are to become hunters, among a batch of, more or less, five-hundred every year. These so-called hunters are idolized for their skills and abilities, perhaps, even envied.

But the main reason why I wanted to become a hunter was because hunters are more powerful than even the richest people that live in Altaria; the island of the rich, where Master Xaphan lives. And by becoming a hunter, I will be able to free Miss Sophilia and Feldar.

I want to live in a world where there's no such thing as slavery. Maybe I'm just being silly, but it's doable. Isn't it..?

I stood up and looked over the horizon. Just a distance between my boat was a giant storm cloud. I checked the map, hoping that wherever I was going, it wasn't toward that storm. But, alas, my hopes were shattered. If I want to get to that ship, I'll have to navigate my way through that extremely intimidating storm. Gulp…

The wind was strong and the water was incredibly wavy. I held on to the sails so they wouldn't be torn or blown away. I screamed, hoping someone would hear me (which, by the way, was wishful thinking). I opened my eyes, trying to look past the all the water in my corneas. My heart skipped a beat. There it was: The ship that would take all the other candidates to the Hunter Exam. "Bring me to the ship!" I screamed happily. The sail boat sped forward, as if it was following my command and rammed hard against the side of the ship. "Hey! Down here!" I screamed at the very top of my lungs. A young boy with spiky hair looked down at me.

"Can you help me get up, please?" I asked. The boy nodded and took a fishing rod from his backpack. He lowered the line and said,

"Grab on to the line!" I took hold of the fishing line and the boy hauled me into the ship. Once I was safe, he asked me, "Who are you?"

"My name's Valenia. I've come for the Hunter Exam."

Before the boy could answer, a small, thin man appeared behind him. "Gon, the captain is calling you." He turned to me. "And, who are you?"

"This is Valiena." said the boy.

"It's Valenia, not Valiena." I corrected him.

"Oh, sorry." he said, embarrassed. "I'm Gon. If you're here for the Hunter Exam, maybe you should come with me to the captain.

"Alright,"

"Suit yourself." said the man behind Gon, "Follow me, then."

The skinny man led us to the captain's room, where I saw two more people – a tall, businessman with weird glasses, and a cat-eyed girl, err, boy? Not sure – and the captain.

"Who's this girl? I only asked you to bring these three." He gestured at the two boys and the cat-eyed person (whose gender I've yet to find out).

"She says she wants to be a hunter." Gon said, looking at me.

"I didn't see you get on board during our stops. So, how did you get here?" asked the captain.

"I travelled through the storm on my sail boat… which is probably already broken by now. Gon got me on board with his fishing rod." I bowed in front of the captain, who seemed taken aback by this. "Please allow to travel with you to the Hunter Exam."

The boys in the room stared at me. "Well, since you were able to brave the storm… I'll let you travel with us." the captain said, "Now, all of you, single file."

Gon and I took our places as the captain studied the four of us.

"Tell me, why did you all decide to try out for the Hunter Exam?"

"Why should we tell you that, huh?" the businessman asked quizzically.

"I want to become a hunter so that I can find my father! He also left for the Hunter Exam when I was twelve, you see." Gon explained. The captain stared at him, mouth agape.

"Hey, kid, it's rude to interrupt people when they're speaking."

"I just wanted to tell him the reason why I joined the Hunter Exam."

"I agree with Leorio." said cat eyes. "It would be easy to tell a lie to avoid these kinds of questions. But, lying is dishonorable."

"You're younger than me! So, you should call me Mr. Leorio!" the businessman – Leorio – screamed.

Cat eyes ignored him and continued to speak. "I would like to tell you the reason. But, unfortunately, it comes straight from my heart. So, I cannot."

"So, how about you?" The captain asked me.

If I weren't a slave, then I would refuse, just as the other two did. But, since I was one, I was used to taking orders. "My name is Valenia. I come from Altaria."

"Altaria? The island of the rich?"

"Yes, that's right. I am a slave of one of the residents there." At the word 'slave,' the people in the room looked at me in surprise, but I continued to speak. "I've come to join the Hunter Exam because I no longer want to be bound to a master. I don't want to be a slave anymore."

"I see. Alright then, Kurapika and Leorio have forfeited the Hunter Exam."

"What?"

"The Hunter Examiners hire people like us to lessen the candidates of the Hunter Exam. If you pass my test, then I'll allow you to take the Exam. If you not…" the captain's voice trailed off. "Now, are you two gonna tell me, or what?"

Cat eyes – Kurapika – sighed and started to tell his/her story. "The Phantom Troupe is the one that murdered the members of the Kurta Clan. I am the last remaining survivor. I have joined the Hunter Exam so I can have my revenge."

"Geez, you don't have to join the Hunter Exam to get revenge." Leorio mused.

"Hunters have access to certain areas where people cannot enter, certain information, and even contact with certain people." Kurapika explained, "You're just too slow to figure that out, Leorio."

"It's Mr. Leorio!"

"Why do you want to be a hunter, Mr. Leorio?" Gon asked.  
He grinned. "That's quite simple. I want…" he began, "MONEY! I want giant houses, expensive cars, and all the sake I can drink!"

"Such a shallow goal that is, Leorio." Kurapika commented.

Leorio glared at him/her, murder in his eyes. "That's the third time already… let's take this outside. I'll show just how stupid your Kurta Clan is." Leorio walked toward the door and pushed me out of his way.

"Take back what you said, Leorio!"

Leorio stared at Kurapika through his peripheral vision. "It's Mr. Leorio." then he walked out the door.

"Hey, come back!" the captain called out.

"Leave them." said Gon, "Aunt Mito would always tell me that if you want to fix a problem, you need to find out what's causing them anger or grief."

"Captain, look at that!" said the skinny man, pointing at a giant tornado that was heading towards the ship. The captain stared at the oncoming twister. He took the wheel and started barking orders at his crew.

"I'll help." Gon offered.

"Me too," I added.

"Alright, follow me."

Outside, it was total chaos. Ropes were flying everywhere and everyone was trying their best to get a hold of them. I took hold of two ropes and pulled with all my might. I turned my head and saw Gon helping the skinny man pull one o the ropes. On the other side of the boat were Leorio and Kurapika, about to engage in combat.

Suddenly, the skinny man was flying through the air, desperately trying to cling to the out-of-control rope. He lost his grip and was thrown toward Leorio and Kurapika. "Watch out!" I screamed at them, pointing at the airborne man. They both looked at me, then dove for the man's legs. But, too late, or was it?

Gon dashed past me and jumped overboard, catching the man's legs. Only to be saved by the two combatants.

* * *

Next day~

"Idiot! Why did you jump overboard? What if we weren't able to catch you?" Leorio screamed.

"So mindless…" Kurapika muttered.

"But, you still caught me, didn't you?" Gon said happily.

"Well…"

I laughed, amused by the way Gon was able to silence the two without even trying.

Leorio turned to me. "Hey, uh, slave girl, I'm sorry I pushed you yesterday."

"Ah, it's alright. I'm used to it."

"What do you mean by that..?"

"Um… I'm sorry about yesterday. I was being disrespectful, Mr. Leorio." Kurapika said.

"Eh? Mr. Leorio? Just call me Leorio…" he said, "And, uh, sorry I insulted your Kurta Clan. Forgive me, I was being careless."

The captain stood by the door watching us. "I like the four of you!"

"Did we pass the test, captain?" I asked.

"Yes, of course you did! And I'll be more than happy to take you to the port nearest to the Exam site.

I smiled relieved, and so did the others behind me.

* * *

**Valenia: I've been meaning to ask you Kurapika…**

**Kurapika: What is it?**

**Valenia: Are you a boy or a girl?**

**Kurapika: *flustered* I'm a boy! Why do people always ask me that?**

**Leorio: How could you blame them? With this hair and those eyes, you REALLY look like a chic.**

**Kurapika: Go. Away. NOW.**

***Leorio and Valenia run away***

**Rafie: Don't mind them, hehe. Review please!**


	4. Shock Collars and Mushrooms

**Rafie: I have finally found a way to export my work from my Apple device to my computer! Rejoice!**

**Leorio: It's about time.**

**Valenia: Can we get on with the fanfic, please?**

* * *

"Are you sure he said the cedar tree?"

"The cedar tree is over here, while our destination, Zaban City, is over here."

"I'm sure the captain said cedar tree." Gon insisted.

"But this note says we should go to Zaban City." said Leorio.

"Well, I'm gonna listen to captain. I'm going to the cedar tree." said Gon.

"I'll be going with Gon too." I announced, waving goodbye at the two.

Leorio stared at us in disbelief. "Why not just take the bus..?"

Kurapika started to walk towards us. "Eh? You too Kurapika?"

"I'm interested to see what Gon is up to." he said.

"Well, whatever. I'm taking the bus." growled Leorio, storming off.

* * *

We were halfway to an old town, when we saw Leorio running towards us. "Ermm... I've decided to follow you guys." he said, embarrassed.

The four of us continued walking, when we reached the town, it seemed to have been deserted.

"Looks like a ghost town in here." I commented.

"Actually, there are a lot of people." said Gon

I looked at him, confused. Before I could say anything else, a group of masked people exited from one of the doors, along with a strange carriage which was carrying an old lady. "Super fun..." she muttered.  
"Super fun..?" I repeated.

"Super exciting..."

"Super exciting..?" Leorio asked, uncertain of what exactly was going on.

"SUPER FUN AND SUPER EXCITING QUIZ!" screamed the old lady.

"A quiz?"

"That's right. I'll be asking you one question. You may choose from two possible answers. Any vague answers will not be accepted."

"Hold on, you're going to ask all four of us? What if one of us gives the wrong answer?" asked Leorio.

"You're the one most likely to give the wrong answer." said Kurapika.

"What did you say?"

"But it would be fine if one of us knew the correct answer, right?"

The two calmed down. "Right..."

I was really amused by the fact that Gon can silence these two without even trying.

"If you're so unsure about taking the quiz, why don't you let me go first?" came a voice from behind us. We all spun around to see who it was. It was one of the people we rode with on the ship.

"We should let him go first. So we'd have an idea on what the quiz is like." I suggested.

"Yeah, let him go first."

"Alright then, me first." said the man, taking his place behind the podium.

"Here is your question: Your mother and your lover are in danger, but you may only save one of them. Who will you save?" asked the old lady.

My eyes widened. I'd heard of this kind of trick before. My Master failed to recognize it when he was trying to get into some company. It's impossible to answer that kind a question. The only way to reply is to...

Ding-dong! Was the sound of the man hitting the buzzer. "I'll save my mother."

"Explain."

"My mother is irreplaceable. But I can always find another lover." he concluded.

Idiot, I thought. I looked at the boys. Leorio seemed to be as angry as ever, while Gon and Kurapika were lost in thought.

"Guys-" I began.

"Hold it!" the old lady interrupted me. "You are no longer allowed to communicate with each other." I stared at the lady in disbelief. How did she know that I was going to tell them the answer?

"This is stupid! No one can possibly answer that in a word or two." screamed Leorio. "I'm outta here!"

"If you, leave you'll be disqualified from the Hunter Exam." said the old lady.

Leorio punched a wall then spun around, glaring at the her.

I turned to Kurapika, who seemed to have figured out what the trick was. I nodded at him and he nodded back.

"No more speaking with each other. Your question is: Your son and your daughter are in danger, but you may only save one of them. Who will you save?"

Leorio took a piece of wood and started hitting the air, murder in his eyes.

"Five... Four... Three..." I took my boomerang from its case and hid it behind my back. "Two... One... Time is up."

Leorio jumped from his spot and aimed the piece of wood at the old lady. I aimed my boomerang and threw it. It curved and broke the stick Leorio held before it returned to me.

"Why the hell did you do that!" he screamed at me.

"Idiot! We've already passed." said Kurapika.

"Huh?"

"The old lady said that we must choose the correct answer. Since that kind of question has no correct answer..."

"We can only remain silent." I finished Kurapika's sentence. Leorio scratched his head then turned to me. "Sorry..." I smiled at him, reassuring him that it was no big deal.

The old lady smiled. "That is correct."

"But why did you let that other guy pass?"

"She said he could pass but she didn't say it was the right path."

"Smart boy," said the old lady, "The correct path is this way." she told us, gesturing at a dark tunnel. "It'll be a two hour walk to the cedar tree, where you'll find a couple that will help you."

While Leorio was apologizing to the old lady, Gon collapsed to the ground. He sighed. "I still can't figure it out."

"The quiz already done, silly." said Kurapika.

"I know. But what if we stumble upon a situation where we can only save one of them?"

"He's right. We can easily find ourselves in that situation during the Hunter Exam."

Gon nodded. "Either way it's wrong, but we still must make a choice in the end.

The two kept silent, unsure of how to answer. So I spoke up, "We shouldn't worry about that now. We should be on our way."

The boys nodded and we made our way through the dark tunnel.

* * *

I laughed, picking another mushroom. "There are so many mushrooms!"

The boys stared at me as if I were a psycho. "Why do you seem so... Happy? They're just mushrooms."

"And how are you sure they're not poisonous?"

"There are a lot of these mushrooms in my Master's garden. I usually eat a lot of them whenever I'm hungry." I hesitated before continuing, "My master only lets me eat three times a week, you see. And he only feeds me fruit skins, leftover broth, and, if I'm lucky, a bit of rice." I explained.

The boys stared at me in disbelief yet again. "That's some cruel Master." Leorio commented.

"Is that even allowed in Altaria?"

"From where I come from, you can keep a guard's mouth shut for the right price."

We continued walking towards the cedar tree. "It was two hours two hours ago!" Leorio complained.

"Hey, there it is!" said Gon, pointing at a house by the giant cedar tree.

I was about to say something when I felt a strong electric current emit from the collar and spread throughout my body, causing an immense pain. I dropped to the floor, screaming. The boys rushed to my side.

"What's wrong?" asked Kurapika.

"It's the collar... my Master is using the collar to shock me."

"Can't you take it off?" Leorio suggested.

"No, I've tried that. When I take it off it just reassembles itself on my neck again."

The pain suddenly stopped and I sighed in relief. "Okay, it stopped."

Kurapika sighed. "Are you sure you're fit to go through the Hunter Exam in that state?"

I stood up and wiped the sweat off my face. "Well, there's no turning back now, is there?" I said, walking towards the cedar tree.

* * *

We knocked on the door. No answer.

"Hello?" I called out, biting off a piece of mushroom. Leorio turned the handle, revealing that the door was open. We entered the house and saw a giant monster feasting on a man's body. The beast turned around to look at us. We saw that it was carrying a girl. "Help!" she screamed. The monster leapt out the window, with me, Kurapika and Gon following close behind.

"Take care of the man." called out Kurapika.

"Leave it to me." Leorio replied.

The three of us dashed through the forest, following the monster's shadow. Gon jumped up and tracked the monster from atop the trees.

"Cool..." I murmured. Then he fell down and ran alongside us again. "The monster can speak!" he told us.

"Yes, they can speak human language." said Kurapika.

Gon took to the trees again and threw the line of his fishing rod at the beast. It made contact painfully and the monster let go of the girl.

"Kurapika!" Gon shouted.

Kurapika jumped from beside me and caught the girl. Once he landed safely on the ground, I joined him. "Is she alright?"

"Yeah," he said, "She'll be fine." Just then, Leorio walked up behind us.

"Yo,"

"How's the man?" asked Kurapika.

"I gave him a tranquilizer. He's sound asleep now." Before Leorio could say anything else, Kurapika hit him in the face. He staggered back, laughing.

"How did you know I was a fake?" he asked him.

"I didn't. When I left the man to Leorio's care, he didn't know if the monster would come back. And yet he left him alone and walked around casually. That is why I hit him."

The creature laughed at dashed away from us. "I'm gonna follow him." I told Kurapika. He nodded and I ran after the monster.

* * *

I could keep up with its shadow well. Then it came to an abrupt stop and revealed itself to me. "I'll kill you, brat!" it said, showing me its sharp claws. I took my boomerang and assumed a fighting stance. The monster brought down its claws, missing me by inches, then I leapt away from it, careful to avoid its next blow. Before I could throw my boomerang, the collar started shocking me again. I staggered back, but didn't fall over. Before I knew it, I was running toward the monster, making it come in contact with the collar. The shocks continued to travel through my and the monster's body. When it stopped, we heard a voice from afar.

"Honey, come over here! You need to see this!"

"Honey..? I asked and the beast smiled at me.

* * *

"Can you guys tell the difference?" I asked Leorio and Kurapika.

The two monsters say that Gon was able to distinguish between them. But I see no difference at all. "No, can't see it." they replied.

"Kurapika," said the girl, "You were able to find out that I wasn't married to him. You never overlooked a single hint. It proves that you are very knowledgeable. So you've passed." Kurapika smiled and nodded.

"Leorio," said the boy, "You were not able to find out that we were only tricking you. But while I was with you, you kept encouraging me that everything would be alright. Your thoughtfulness will prove to be very useful for the Hunter Exam. You've passed." Leorio sank to the ground, happy that he was able to pass.

"Valenia," said the monster that I fought, "In the midst of battle, that collar of yours started to shock you, but you were able to hold your ground and you even used your own handicap against me. It shows that you are headstrong and resourceful. You've passed." I smiled and bowed before the monster.

"And finally Gon," said the other monster, "You were the one who was able to distinguish between us, it shows you have keen, reliable senses. You are more than qualified for the Hunter Exam. You have passed." Gon smiled happily.

So, in the end all of us were able to pass. Just when I was about to celebrate, the collar started to shock me again. What perfect timing... I think I fainted too...

* * *

I must have been out for some time, because when I woke up, I was being carried by some flying monster.

"Valenia, you're awake!" Gon called out.

"Sorry about that." I said apologetically.

"Don't worry about it!"

* * *

**Valenia: Fruit skins, anyone?**

**Kurapika: -groans- No thanks, Valenia.**

**Gon: The mushrooms aren't that bad, really.**

**Leorio: You two have problems with your sense of taste.**


	5. Welcome, Rookies

**Valenia: Mushroom, mushroom, mushroom!~**

**Rafie: Ignore her. Enjoy the fanfiction!**

* * *

"I've collected more than fifty mushrooms now!" I said happily, shoving another mushroom in my mouth.

"You must be really hungry, huh?" said Leorio, "Let me taste one of those." I took one of the mushrooms in my little pouch and handed it to him. He took a bite and spit it out almost immediately. "So bitter..."

"Really? I think it's delicious. But then again I grew up eating fruit skins..."

Leorio sighed and patted my head.

"Over here." said our navigator (the son of the monsters).

The four of us found ourselves staring at a very tall building. "This is where all the most skilled people gather in hopes of becoming a hunter." said Kurapika.

"It's so tall." said Gon.

"I've seen taller." I murmured.

"Here, guys." said our navigator, pointing at a quaint little restaurant.

"Ooh, we're gonna eat?" I asked excitedly.

The navigator entered the restaurant and we followed him close behind.

"Is the back room available?" he asked the chef.

"Yes, what would you like?" asked the chef, eyeing us suspiciously.

"Steak for four people,"

"Four? How would you like it?" The chef stopped whatever he was doing and focused on the four of us.

"Cook it on low heat until it's well done."

"Alright then, go wait in the back room."

The navigator led the four of us to the back room, where we took our seats.

"I'm finally gonna taste steak." I whispered happily.

"What? You've never tasted steak before?" asked Gon.

"Settle down, that was just a password." Kurapika explained.

"One in every three years…" We all turned to look at our navigator. "That's the percentage of rookies who are able to get to the Hunter Exam."

"Guess we're just... lucky." I said, smiling.

"I'll be the one to guide you guys the next Hunter Exam." he said before exiting the room. The back room started moving down as if it were an elevator.

"I bet he expected us to fail the exam." grumbled Leorio, putting his feet up on the table.

"No use fussing over that." I mused, biting into another mushroom.

"Being a hunter means I'll get rich! And I'll be able to live in Altaria." He said, apparently daydreaming.

"Trust me, you won't like it there." I told him, "All those people do is try to be the richest of the rich. Leading to rivalry. Leading to mindless killing."

"Besides, being a hunter is about preserving natural wonders, protecting important people, not just about money." said Kurapika.

"Hunters can travel to different islands and countries even without passport! And they don't even need to pay to use public transportation."

"You're addicted to money!"

"You're addicted to fame!"

"I just want this collar off." I shrugged.

"What do you think, Gon!" they asked that unison.

"Ummm..." The back room stopped moving and the doors opened, revealing a big, dark room filled with Hunter Exam candidates. Gon sighed, happy because he didn't have to answer.

"These guys are nothing like the people we rode with on the ship. Each of them has their own unique ability." Kurapika observed.

A small man with a green, blob-like head approached us and gave us a number plate. "Please pin the number plate on your chest so you won't lose it." he told us. I got number 406.

* * *

"Hey rookies." said a fat man.

"You can tell that we're rookies?"

"T'was just a guess, really." he admitted, "I'm Tonpa."

"Nice to meet you, I'm Gon. These are Kurapika, Leorio and Valenia. What's the Hunter Exam like?" he asked.

"Well, it changes every year, but there are some candidates that return almost every time."

While Tonpa was telling Gon of the other candidates, I slipped away without them noticing. I saw a small, peculiar-man that was fiddling with his laptop. I approached him. "I know that this is much too much to ask... but, by any chance, will you let me borrow your laptop? Just for a while?"

The man eyed me suspiciously and brushed a lock of incredibly shiny hair from his face. "You a rookie?"

"Ah, yes, my name is Valenia."

"I'm Nicole. I'm sorry, I can't let you do that."

"I understand... Umm... forgive me for intruding." I said apologetically, bowing.

I need to stop bowing, but I've grown so used to it.

I sighed and walked away. Many of the boys, were eyeing me. I was, after all, one of the few girls who dared to join this crazy exam. One of the boys looked at me, a silly grin on his face. "Hello there, girlie." I ignored this and the laughter around me. The boy, whoever he was, took my hand and pulled me towards him.

"Hey, you're pretty cute." he complimented me. I didn't say anything. I just stared at him, murder in my eyes.  
The boy laughed and the rest of the crowd watched us. He pinned me to the wall, a one-hundred mile grin on his face. "How about a kiss, girlie?" he asked me, leaning in. Right before his pathetic excuse for lips touched mine, I slammed my knee into his head. He staggered back, panting. I kicked him down, and took my boomerang. I pointed its blade at the boy's neck. "Listen to me carefully. If you touch me again," I brought my face inches from his. "I'll kill you." I walked away, ignoring all the candidates staring at me.

If there's one thing I can't stand, it's being violated.

"That was pretty impressive." said Leorio.

"Oh, you saw that?" I whispered, completely embarrassed.

"It was cool!" Gon exclaimed.

"Eh, you too..?"

"I saw that, as well" Kurapika added.

"Sheesh, how embarrassing."

Suddenly, an alarm went off, and the giant wall above us started to rise. On the other side of the wall was a man with pink hair and a luxurious mustache.

"Welcome to the Hunter Exam. By joining this exam, you may be putting your while lives in jeopardy. So, I advise those who aren't prepared to die, to leave immediately.

...

"Alright then, follow me, candidates." the man spun around and started to walk, with us following close behind him. As I continued to walk, the collar began to shock me again. It stung a whole lot, causing me to fall to my knees.

"Valenia, is it shocking you again?" asked Gon.

"Yes," I managed to say, "I'll be fine. Just keep on going, or you'll get left behind." I forced myself to stand and walk, I then realized that the candidates were now running. I had to pick up the pace. I blinked back the tears and continued to run, ignoring my friends' looks of worry.

* * *

**Rafie: Just finished watching Fate/Zero. So, I've invited Ryuu here!**

**Leorio: -groans-**

**Ryuu: Hehe, next chapter will come out soon!**


	6. Bite Your Tongue and Run!

**Ryuu: I want to be a hunter, too!**

**Leorio: You belong in the Fate Universe! Not here!**

**Rafie: Quit fighting...**

* * *

I was lagging behind. Terribly. But so was Nicole. The poor guy was sweating like crazy. It's not like I'm slow or anything, it's just that this stupid collar won't stop shocking me! Nicole dropped his laptop. He was forcing his legs to keep up even though they couldn't. I stopped running for a while and took the laptop, knowing I'd be able to contact Feldar with it. I turned to Nicole, he had stopped running completely and fainted. The collar emitted another electric current, stronger than ever and I dropped to my knees, seething in pain. When I got up again, I saw that the group of running candidates was far, far away from me. I punched the ground in anger and forced myself to stand and run. I saw that Leorio was lagging behind too.

"Leorio," I said, placing my hand on his shoulder. I looked ahead. Gon was waiting for us, with an unfamiliar boy waiting beside him.

"Leorio, we have to go." I said, tugging at his sleeve. He was panting and sweating like crazy. He stood up and... erm... took off his shirt.

"I will become a hunter!" he screamed, running past the other candidates. I smiled, and then continued to run, biting my tongue and trying to ignore the electric current that was spreading through my body. Another strong shock emitted from the collar and I dropped to my knees again. But I forced them to cooperate, blinking back a million tears. As I was running, I decided to contact Feldar. I opened Nicole's laptop and typed in a series of codes. When I was done, I pressed enter and Feldar's face appeared on screen. "Yo, Valenia, how'd you contact me?"

"Never mind that." I replied, "I need you to steal whatever Master uses to activate the shock collar."

"Will do." said Feldar, "See ya, Val." Feldar's face disappeared and I continued to run. In pain.

After an hour of running, the shocks stopped and I was able to run properly. "Thank you, Feldar." I whispered.  
I took a deep breath and ran as fast as I possibly could. I ran to Leorio and Kurapika, who both seemed to be faring well. Leorio was ranting on about being a doctor. "I want to become a hunter so that I can become a doctor!" I laughed, not because I thought it was stupid, but because he was saying it while he was running, topless.

"You heard that, didn't you?" Leorio groaned. I nodded.

"I think it you'll be a great doctor." Leorio just snarled and looked ahead.

"Where have you been?" Kurapika asked.

"Lagging behind..." I said miserably, "It's all because of this stupid collar..."

"Well, you're here now."

"Listen, I'm going to go ahead. So I won't lag behind anymore."

"Alright."

I sighed then dashed forward, dodging the fainted bodies of different candidates. Soon, I saw the pink-haired man's back. I think I recall him saying that he was the first examiner and that this was the first phase of the exam.

* * *

So this is what the Hunter Exam is about...

* * *

Two hours in and we were all tired. Plus, the collar started shocking me again. I was getting slower and slower. Not a good sign. Gon and his new friend sped past me. "Good luck, Valenia!" they said in unison. I smiled and continued to run, regardless of the pain.

Lo and behold, the exit was finally in sight, after three hours. I was relieved, especially since the collar was hurting me like hell. Gon and his friend seemed to have reached the finish line already. I must have arrived tenth or so, while Leorio and Kurapika arrived as one of the last.

After all of us have regrouped, Gon introduced me to Killua, number 99. He was just like any other kid, but I'm starting to wonder why a kid like him would join the Hunter Exam.

"Welcome to Numere Wetlands, the Swindlers' Swamp. We'll be running through here to be able to reach the venue of the second phase of the exam." said our examiner, Satotz was him name, I think? "While we're running, there will be a number of creatures that will try to trick you. If you fall for their tricks... then, you'll die." I heard a number of groans and gasps from a number of candidates. And I'm sure I heard another voice. I couldn't really hear or see anything after that. The collar was literally draining the power in me. I couldn't stand. I couldn't breathe. I must have fainted again.

I was woken up by Gon. He was shaking me, calling out my name, telling me to wake up. I think I heard Leorio's voice too, even Kurapika's.

"If she doesn't get up, I'll disqualify her." came in Satotz voice.

"Valenia, wake up you idiot!" Yup, that was definitely Leorio.

I sat up, scratching head. "I'm sorry I caused so much trouble." I said.

"Stand up." said Satotz. I forced my legs to cooperate. When I'd finally stood up. Satotz nodded and took his place at the front the batch of candidates. I scanned the area and saw that a number of candidates were giving me the evil eye. I bowed politely then ignored their glares.

"These guys don't like me." I said, thinking aloud.

"Hey, it's only natural. It is a contest after all." said Leorio. I smiled through the pain and started to run.

* * *

**Valenia: You're killing me with that collar.**

**Rafie: Me? Xaphan's doing it! Not me!**

**Valenia: Yeah, but you're telling him to. You ARE the writer.**

**Rafie: Eh.-shrugs- **

**Valenia: -groans- -tugs at collar-**

**Review please!**


	7. Hisoka

**Valenia: Ahh, Swindlers' Swamp.**

**Gon: I hate that stupid frog... -shudders-**

**Killua: If it weren't for me, we'd be done for.**

* * *

The fog was getting thicker. It was becoming more difficult to follow Satotz. And, yet again, I was lagging behind because of the stupid collar. Soon enough, I was separated from the group. I shut my eyes and tried to focus my sense of hearing. From a distance, I could hear men talking. So I decided to follow the sound. I hopped onto a tree branch and saw a group of eight to ten candidates surrounding number 44. I watched them, careful so that they wouldn't detect me. The group of candidates charged at number 44. As they neared, I saw him take out one card. In one swift movement, he lashed out at the men, and they all fell to the ground. The last man, their leader perhaps, dropped to the ground, begging for mercy. He tried to crawl away, but number 44 threw a card, which pierced through the middle of his head. I gulped and scanned the area for anyone else. I spotted Kurapika and Leorio, hiding by a bunch of trees.

"Do you want to play the examiner game too?" number 44 asked, looking at them. The two stared at him, pure fear etched across their faces.

"Now!" screamed Kurapika. And at that, the two sped away in different directions.

"Hmm, smart choice." said number 44, "How about you?" he asked, turning to me.

My heart skipped a beat and I shook my head. Number 44 smiled, then spun around and saw Leorio coming back.

"No, I can't just run away from a fight." he said, grasping a piece of wood in his hands. He charged at number 44, not hesitating for a second, but before he could land the blow, number 44 somehow disappeared and reappeared right behind Leorio. I took my boomerang and threw it at him. He evaded, something else hit him. I caught my boomerang and turned to see who hit him.

"Gon!" I called out.

"Valenia!" he said, acknowledging me.

"Is that a fishing rod?" asked number 44, walking toward Gon. "And that's a boomerang isn't it?" he said, turning to me. I glared at him.

"Such interesting weapons." he commented, clearly amused by the uniqueness of our weaponry.

"I am your opponent!" screamed Leorio, running toward number 44, eyes ablaze.

The card master spun around and punched Leorio. He flew upward and landed painfully on his face. He was out cold.

"Leorio!" I screamed, jumping off the tree and rushing to his side.

Gon was angry now, he lashed out with his fishing rod, but he didn't hit number 44, not even once. I stood up and took my boomerang. I threw it at the card master as hard as I could, but he evaded it gracefully, regardless of the fact that he had his back to me. Gon was able to get behind him. Before he could land his blow, number 44 spun around and grabbed his neck.

"Gon!" I screamed. I charged at number 44, my bladed boomerang aimed at his neck. He produced a card from his hand and threw it at me. I was thrown back. My head hit a rock and I was unable to move. I blinked back tears and watched as the card master dropped Gon.

"Don't worry. Your friends are still alive." he reassured Gon, "Because they both passed the test."

Gon looked at him, confused. "You passed the test too, kid." he added. A beeping sound emitted from his pocket, he took out a device and spoke into it. After which he put it away.

Number 44 walked toward me and took what seemed to be a card from my collar. He then went to Leorio and picked him up. "Will you two be alright on your own?" he asked the both of us. I forced myself to stand and nodded at him. Gon nodded as well.

"Good." then he walked away, carrying Leorio with him.

I looked at Gon, who seemed just as shocked as I was.

"Gon! Valenia!" We heard Kurapika's voice from afar. We spun around to see him running towards us.

"Are you guys okay?" he asked us. I nodded and so did Gon.

We were on our way to the second phase of the exam. Gon had told us of how excited and afraid he was during the fight.

"I think I was almost killed when he threw that card at me. It landed on my neck." I said, feeling the skin behind my collar.

"But what do you think he meant when he said we passed the test?" asked Gon.

"Who knows? Hisoka is pretty sneaky." said Kurapika.

So Hisoka is his name... I'll remember him. I'll remember that name.

* * *

**Review please!**


	8. Giant Piece of Pork on a Plate, Anyone?

**Rafie: Valenia! What do ya look like**

**Valenia: Uhh, why do I need to tell you this?**

**Rafie: I know what you look like. THEY, the readers, don't.**

**Valenia: *sigh* I've got crimson, shoulder-length hair. I have big, yellow eyes. I wear a red sweater that's cut right above my stomach. I wear a black camisole and suspenders underneath. Wait, why do you make me wear suspenders anyway?**

**Rafie: Just keep talking!**

**Valenia: I wear brown shorts and brown, leather boots. M'kay?**

* * *

We arrived at the venue for the second phase of the exam and found Leorio sitting by a tree, half of his face throbbing. "Remind me how I got this." he said, pointing at the giant lump on his face.

I smiled. "Hehe... never mind that." I said, taking a bandage from his suitcase and placing it on his cheek. "For now, we need to focus on the second phase of the exam."

"Right..." Leorio agreed, standing up.

In front of us was a giant gate. It opened and we entered. Inside, we saw a girl sitting on a couch with a big, fat man standing behind her. "Welcome to the second phase of the exam. I'm Menchi." she said, "For this phase you'll be cooking."

"What? Cooking?" was the immediate reply of the candidates.

"Why would hunters need to cook?" asked number 255, a fat guy with brown hair that was tied back.

"I'm a gourmet hunter, you see." said Menchi, apparently losing her patience quickly. "Gourmet hunters risk their lives just to find the perfect ingredients for a certain dish." There was laughter from the batch of candidates.

"Now, for your challenge, you'll need to cook me some pork. But, there's a catch, you need to capture the pork from the forest right outside." she explained. "Now, go!" The candidates ran outside and started searching for pigs. I followed Gon and the others.

* * *

Gon slid down a steep hill, with all of us right behind him. He suddenly stopped and we all clashed into each other.

"Why'd you do that!" asked an angry Killua. Gon seemed to be too mesmerized to answer. He pointed at a spot by some trees. We all looked and saw a herd of giant pigs!

Once the pigs spotted the five of us, they charged.

"Run!" I screamed. The four of us ran back up the hill, pushing each other and telling Leorio to run faster. I took my boomerang and aimed it at one of the pigs. It soared through the air and hit the pig, but it didn't seem to affect it in any way. I caught the boomerang and jumped backward, landing on the pig's head. "Wahoo!"

"The pigs have a weak spot on their forehead!" Gon screamed from afar.

I took my boomerang again and thrust the blade into the pig's forehead. Blood gushed out and the pig fainted.

* * *

We returned to the venue of the second phase and saw a hundred cooking tables laid out for us. "I see you've all caught a pig. So now you have to cook it. Judging depends on taste and presentation. You may start." said Menchi.

I took a table and observed the other candidates as they cooked. One of them approached Menchi and offered her to taste it. The fat guy behind her started to eat and showed the man a picture of a circle, signaling that he passed. But Menchi gave him a cross sign, which meant he failed, without even tasting his dish. "An X? But why?" he asked in disbelief.

"Just by looking at the skin, I can tell that it's over-cooked. So you've failed." the man growled at her and walked away.

"She's quite picky." Kurapika observed.

"She's looking for both taste and presentation. But I don't think she'd taste the dish if it were too plain." I said, thinking aloud.

"It's possible." said Killua.

Leorio walked up to Menchi and showed her his dish. It had a tiny flag on top of it.

"What do you think this is," asked Menchi, "A KIDDIE MEAL?" Our examiner was really angry now, she flipped the whole dish over.

It was Kurapika's turn. He showed her a beautifully plated dish. "Looks nice." she observed, taking a bite. "But it tastes like crap!" she screamed flipping the dish over (again).

* * *

Cooking wasn't a problem for me. I always cook for my Master back home. I cut into the pig, but not completely and cooked it over a spit. Once I was done, I took a few mushrooms and greens and dropped them on the roasted pig. "Goodbye mushrooms," I said sadly.

When I was done, I took it to the examiner. "Here's my dish." I said, proud of myself.

The fat man showed me a circle (surprise, surprise he hasn't given out a single X). Menchi took a bite and nodded. "It's delicious and your presentation is nice, but it still lacks in overall flavor." she raised a cross sign and shooed me away.

"Um... can I have the pork..?" I asked, embarrassed.  
"Sure, kid."

I took the dish and set it on my table, biting into it again and again. Don't blame me. I've never tasted pork before.

The boys approached my table. "Let me taste that." said Leorio.

"Sure." I said, biting into the pork again. Leorio took a piece of the pork and ate it. His eyes lit up. "This is delicious."

Kurapika, Killua, and Gon each took a piece and ate it. Their eyes lit up too. "Leorio's right. This is amazing." said Gon. Killua took another piece and smiled. "How could the examiner reject this?" he asked me. I shrugged.

"Alright, Valenia, you can cook and you can fight. What kind of slave are you exactly?" Leorio asked me.

"I was my Master's protector." I looked away. "I've killed a lot of people just because he ordered me to."

Leorio bonked me on the head. "Let me guess. If you didn't do what he said, he'd hurt you. Am I right?" I nodded. "So, it wasn't your fault. Simple as that!" he bonked me on the head again.

"But-" I began.

"No 'buts!'"

"I-"

"Oh, just shut up and eat." he said, "Half of the people you killed were probably just as bad as your master anyway!"

I groaned, still not convinced, but continued to eat. I didn't want to get into a fight with this guy. Not now, at least.

* * *

"Alright, I've tasted all your dishes." said Menchi. "No one passed. So you're all disqualified."

"What?" asked number 255, flustered, "You, can't eliminate all of us!"

"I'm the examiner. I decide on that."

Number 255 charged at Menchi, angry as hell. Only to be knocked back by the fat man. "Get out, you're all disqualified."

"Hold it, Menchi." said an unfamiliar man that had just arrived. She got up immediately and approached the newcomer.

"Hello, Mr. Neteros."

"Did you or did you not judge the dishes unfairly?"

"I judged unfairly, sir. I'm sorry. It was because I got angry at some of the candidates. You can fire me as an examiner."

"It will be difficult to find another examiner in such short notice." said the old man.

Menchi thought for a while and then said, "Well... can you bring me and all the other candidates to Mount Split-In-Two?"

The old man nodded and beckoned all of us to follow him to the airship.

We arrived at a mountain that seemed to have been sliced in the middle. When we were dropped off, Menchi pointed at the gap that separated the two sides of the mountain. In the gap was a giant web with hanging eggs. Menchi told us that they were the eggs of spider eagles. They were said to taste amazing when boiled. Menchi jumped into the gap and rose back up with an egg in her hands.

"Your challenge is to get an egg. You need to wait for the perfect timing to be able to rise back up."

Gon jumped into the gap, followed by me and the boys. We hung onto the threads of silk, where we waited. "When do we jump?" Killua asked. Gon sniffed the air and all of us watched him intently. I felt my collar begin to shock me and I let go of the silk.

"Valenia!" I heard them scream. I took my boomerang and hammered the blade into the earth. I was safe. For now.

"I'm fine!" I called out.

"You idiot, why did you let go?" came Leorio's angry voice.

"The collar is shocking me again." I explained.

"Now!" Gon screamed. I pulled the boomerang back and grabbed onto an egg. The pressured air rose and carried me up, along with the others. Leorio approached me and bonked me on the head. "You're an idiot, you know that?" he told me. I shrugged and scratched my head.

Once all of us were safe, Menchi taught us how to properly boil our spider eagle eggs. I took a bite from mine. It was really delicious. The most delicious thing I've ever tasted! Menchi patted my shoulder. "Your dish was delicious. I should have passed you. I'm sorry." she said apologetically.

"It's alright." I smiled and took another bite of the egg.

* * *

**Rafie: Not knowing what you guys think is killing me! Review, please? With those silly sprinkles on top?**


	9. Rest Time

**Short chapter. Sorry!**

* * *

We rode on the airship to the third phase of the exam.

"It's nice to have a quick glimpse of the candidates." said Mr. Neteros, studying each and every one of us.

"I'm Mr. Neteros's assistant, Beans." said a small man with a green, bean-shaped head. "Dinner will be served in the cafeteria and all of you are allowed to sleep until we arrive at our destination at eight in the morning."  
"Gon, let's go exploring." said Killua.

"Sure!" and they ran off.

"How could these two still have so much energy?" Leorio asked.

"They're still kids. It's only natural." I said happily.

Kurapika, Leorio, I made our way to the room where we would be allowed to sleep.

"Hey, how many phases are there?" asked Kurapika.

"Hmm, I never thought of it." Leorio said.

"Neither have I." I added.

"There are about six to seven." said a voice behind us. It was Tonpa.

"Oh, so there should be about four or five more."

"Maybe the next phase will take place here." said Tonpa. "And you're being fooled by being told thatyou can rest. But in reality the next challenge takes place in the middle of the night, while you are asleep."

"That's really tricky." I commented.

"We'll remember that, Tonpa." said Kurapika.

* * *

In our room, my collar miraculously stopped shocking me. I opened Nicole's laptop and contacted Feldar.

"Hmm? What's that, Valenia?" asked Leorio.

"It's a laptop I found."

"What? You found it?"

"Yeah, I use it to contact the people back home." I explained, entering the special code and activating it. Feldar, once again, appeared on the screen.

"Hey, Valenia." he said, "Who's that?" he asked, pointing at Leorio.

"This is Leorio. And that's Kurapika." I told him, adjusting the laptop so that Feldar could see Leorio and Kurapika. "Guys, this is Feldar."

"Hi." said Feldar, "Anyway, why'd you call, Valenia?"

"Dude, I've finished the second phase."

"Hey, congrats!" he said, "Aww, I have to go, Valenia. See ya." Feldar's face disappeared from the screen and I closed the laptop.

I sighed, not sure of what to do. I turned to Leorio. He was already asleep. And before I knew it, I'd fallen asleep on his shoulder.

* * *

Sophilia and Feldar were there, hugging me, telling me they were so proud of me. Suddenly, an invisible force jerked both of them away. I called out their names. But they didn't respond. I was left alone in the room I knew all to well. Master Xaphan emerged from the shadows, an engraver in his hands. He laughed, telling me that I shouldn't have run away. He told me that that would only make matters worse. He pinned me to a wall and shoved the engraver onto my cheek. I screamed, calling for help, begging for mercy. But it was useless. Completely useless.

* * *

I woke up with a start. The collar was shocking me again. I moved away from Leorio. Just in time before the collar emitted a strong electric current. I cupped my hand over my mouth and blinked back tears. Standing up, I ran out the room. Sinking to the ground. Unable to stop the tears. Someone exited the room. It was Leorio.

"You think I didn't feel that shock?" he asked me. I continued to cry. The pain was unbearable. Leorio sat down beside me and placed his hand on my head. "Let's see just how terrible that collar is."

"Stop, you'll get shocked!" I said, still crying.

"That's the idea." said Leorio, shutting his eyes.

I sighed. "You're an idiot, you know that?" I told him.

"So are you." he retorted, his voice shaking.

"See? You can't even take it!"

"Shut… up…" he said, annoyed. His voice was still shaking.

"Don't blame me if you faint!"

* * *

**Rafie: Hah, let the love begin. -smiles-**

**Leorio: Can I kiss her now? -grabs Valenia-**

**Valenia: -blushes-**

**Rafie: Patience, old man.**

**Leorio: Stop calling me an old man!**


	10. Trick Tower

**Rafie: Ah, Trick Tower...**

**Valenia: What are you planning? **

**Rafie: -laughs-**

* * *

"Oi, wake up..."

I opened my eyes, blinking the last remaining traces of sleep in them. I saw Killua in front of me, bending down and poking my cheek. "Um, good morning Killua." I greeted him.

"Mind telling me why you both are asleep on the side of the hallway?" he asked.

I turned to Leorio. His arm was resting on my shoulders and I was leaning on him. I stood up, blushing like crazy. "I-I can explain." I stuttered.

"No need. We're already approaching the exam site. You'd better get ready."

I looked out the window and saw a giant tower in a distance. "So cool…" I commented.

I walked back to Leorio and bonked him on his head. "Wake up sleepy-head."

"Huh?" he whispered, drool dripping down his cheek.

"We're here." I said, "Get up, dude." He ignored me and continued to sleep.

"You've just won a million bucks." I said, changing my voice a bit. Leorio jumped apparently wide awake. Killua and I laughed.

"Gotcha."

* * *

The airship landed on a giant tower. When all of the candidates got out, Beans started explaining.

"Welcome to Trick Tower. This is where the third phase of the exam will be held." he said.

"So this is Trick Tower." I thought aloud.

"You've heard of this place?" Kurapika asked me.

"Yeah, my master always tells me that he'd send me here if I disobeyed his orders."

"That master of yours... I want to kill him so bad..." said Leorio.

I laughed. "Leorio, don't say things like that!"

"For this phase of the exam, you'll need to climb down to the base of the tower within seventy-two hours." said Beans. "Good luck."

The airship departed, leaving us on the top of the tower.

"How do you climb down this thing?" Gon asked.

"Jumping down would be suicide..."

"I never liked heights."

All of us were looking down the tower, trying to find out how exactly we'd be able to get down to the base.

"No problem." said a man behind us, "Something like this won't be a hindrance to professional rock climbers." The man started to climb down the tower with ease, one foot after the other.

"Impressive,"

Suddenly, strange, flying creatures appeared out of nowhere. One of them devoured the man and flew away.

"Help! Help me!" was his desperate plea for rescue.

"Well, we definitely can't climb down."

I moved away from the guys and looked over at the sea. I could actually Altaria from here.

"Valenia, what's wrong?" asked Gon.

"There it is." I said, pointing at the tiny island with a giant gold tower in the middle. The others turned to look at what I was pointing at. "That's Altaria." I sighed, feeling the spot on my chest that I'd burned not long ago.

Leorio bonked me on the head, causing me to lose my train of thought. "Idiot, there's no time for you to worry about that stupid master of yours."

"I'm not really worrying about that jerk." I explained. "I'm worried about Feldar and Sophilia. My two best friends... the master is probably torturing them by now."

"You shouldn't worry about them either! You should be worrying about the Hunter Exam!" Leorio screamed. Kurapika nodded.

"Focus on the task at hand, Valenia."

I smiled and nodded. Before I could say anything else the collar began to shock me again. I fell to my knees, burying my face in my hands.

"Valenia!"

The ground below me shifted and I was thrown into the inside of the tower. I'd fallen into a trap door. I spun around and studied a poster that was nailed to a wall.

"The Loner's Path" was written on the poster. Below that was a podium with a single watch on it. I took the timepiece and put it on, making sure it clicked.

"Hello," said a voice from nowhere.

"Who's there?" I asked, taking my boomerang.

"Don't fret, dear. I'm your examiner. For this path, you must go alone. Beyond the door in front of you is a maze. You'll have to make your way through it to be able to reach the base of the Trick Tower." I faced the door in front of me and took a deep breath.  
"Are you ready?" asked the examiner.

"Yes." The door before me opened and I walked into the maze. "We'll see each other at the base Gon, Kurapika, Killua, Leorio..."

* * *

**Kurapika: Why did you have to give us Tonpa instead of Valenia.**

**Rafie: It's hard to alter those kinds of things, ya know.**

**Review please!**


	11. I Am A Killer

**Rafie: In this chapter, dark Valenia's debut!**

**Valenia: And I'll tell you guys a bit about my past.**

**Rafie: Enjoy the fanfic!**

* * *

The maze was really big, I couldn't tell if I'd passed through one curve or not. It was just that hard to tell.

Finally, after wandering aimlessly in the maze, I stumbled upon a room with a hooded figure with handcuffs on the other side.

"For this challenge, you'll need to fight the prisoner in front of you." The prisoner was unchained and he removed the hood from his head. Before me stood a muscular looking man covered in tattoos.

"Hello, girlie."

"Hello, sir. What's your name? My name is Valenia." I smiled, then bowed politely.

The man laughed loudly. "Do I really have to fight this girl?" he asked the examiner. "My name is Devon. I have a 115-year sentence here because a hundred people have died under my hands." he laughed again. "I'll finally be able to kill another person. It's been so long."

"Um... before we begin, I have a request."

"What is it?" asked Devon.

I looked at him. "Don't underestimate me."

Devon grinned and raised his hand. "I promise."

I dropped my boomerang and laptop to the ground and stepped forward. "Alright," I assumed a fighting stance. "Let's start."

"This challenge will be a death match. The first one who dies will lose." said Devon, stepping forward and cracking his knuckles.

"I understand." I replied, smiling.

Devon charged forward, preparing to punch me. I moved away to safely, dodging his blow flawlessly. He delivered one blow after another and I dodged each and every one over and over again.

"Are you gonna play defense forever, girlie?" he asked me. He leaned down and tried to punch my stomach. I jumped, landing on Devon's back and locked my legs around his neck, chocking him. He threw me off, coughing. "Not bad." he said, genuinely impressed.

I bowed. "Thank you, sir."

Devon charged at me again, aiming at my face this time. I squatted down and kicked his feet, causing him to lose his balance. Then I stood on him, keeping him down by standing on his knees.

Devon produced a small blade and slashed at my legs, creating a few wounds (and reopening a few old ones). But, I didn't falter. I stood my ground as he slashed again and again. Devon glared at me, the tiniest glint of amusement in his eyes. He grabbed my legs and threw me off. I rolled away and stood up again. Devon charged, his blade aimed at my neck. I jumped up and landed behind him. He spun around just in time for me to kick his head. He fell back and wiped the blood away from his face. I could tell he was mad now.

"Will you take me seriously now?" I asked.

Devon screamed. He raised his blade and threw it at me. The knife whizzed past me. I didn't even need to dodge it.

"Don't you know?" I asked, smiling sweetly. "I've been through a… special type of training."

Devon charged at me. I dodged his blow and slammed my elbow into his back. "When I was six, I was taught how to fight with my bare hands."

He stood up and lunged again. I jumped out of the way and smiled. "When I was seven, I was taught how to fight with guns."

I walked toward Devon and allowed him to try to land a blow on me. I dodged each and every one. Once he stopped, I spoke again. "By the age of nine, I began to fight with swords and knives."

Devon's anger seemed to have been replaced with fear, by now. He stared at me, completely dumbstruck. But I only smiled. "When I was ten, I was given a bladed boomerang." I walked over to the place where I dropped my stuff and took the curved blade from my beneath the laptop. "I immediately fell in love with the uniqueness of this weapon." I explained, staring at my boomerang in awe.

"By twelve years old, my master brought me to a training camp for potential hitmen. It was a living hell there." I went on, "When I was thirteen, master hired an old man to teach me some silly aura works. I never mastered it because master caught him stealing and had him murdered."

I took a step toward Devon, who was looking at me as if I was the devil incarnate. "And when I was fifteen," I paused to add to the dramatic effect. "I was a top-notch killer."

I suppose you could tell what happened next. Devon was too afraid to move and I seemed to have been taken over by an otherworldly desire to kill. Soon, I was seeing Master Xaphan instead of Devon. This only intensified the desire. I walked toward my opponent, boomerang in hand. I swung my arm, letting the blade of my weapon sink into the side of his neck. His eyes rolled back and he fell to the floor. Dead.

* * *

**Review please!**


	12. To Kill, or Not to Kill

**Rafie: Woot! Chapter 12 is finally out! Forgive me for the wait!**

* * *

I wandered through the maze, in search of the exit. So far, I've gone through a room filled with snakes, a room with a rickety bridge, and a room that was in total darkness (I think I bumped into a wall a few dozen times).

Finally, I found myself facing a bottomless ditch. On the other side was a statue of a girl, her hands around a door. "That must be the exit..." I thought aloud. The only thing that held the two ledges together was a thick piece of rope. I took my boomerang and positioned it on the rope. I held the laptop, tightly around my arm and my other hand held onto the boomerang. I jumped, letting the boomerang carry me through the ditch. I landed on the other side safely.

"Congratulations." said the statue. It was the examiner's voice. "Beyond this door is the goal."

The door before me opened and I stepped into a room full of candidates.

"Number 406, Valenia, is the tenth to arrive. Total time is twelve hours and five minutes." said a voice.

I scanned the room, searching for Leorio, Kurapika, Killua, and Gon. They were nowhere in sight. Just then, I noticed that throughout this phase, my collar didn't shock me even once. I sat down and opened the laptop.

Feldar's face appeared on the screen. "Hey, Valenia,"

"I've finished the third phase, Feldar." I said happily.

"You're doing well, girl! Oh, and the Master's gone out on a business trip. He just forgot to bring this with him." Feldar raised a strange-looking device with a single button on it. "This is what he uses to activate your collar. And I snagged it from him before he left with it."

"Thanks so much, Feldar." I said.

"No problem, Val. Now you should get some rest." and his face disappeared from the screen.

I sat on the ground, bored out of my mind. "Where are you guys?"

* * *

72 hours seemed like a million decades. In scientific notation, that was 1 multiplied by 10 to the power of 7. I'm doing math… I must be REALLY bored.

I was too worried about my friends to sleep. And too afraid of the fact that if I fall asleep, someone might have the guts to slit my throat while I'm in dreamland.

* * *

Ten hours have passed since I arrived. Fifty hours remain. I was playing with my boomerang, throwing it and watching it curve back. The other candidates watched me as I threw it again and again. I suppose they were just as bored as I was. I threw my boomerang again. It curved later than usual and Hisoka, number 44, the card master, caught it. A cold chill ran up my spine. "Umm… can I have it back please?" Hisoka smiled and threw the boomerang. I caught it and sighed, thankful that he didn't aim it at my throat. Like last time... I shuddered. But, seeing how powerful Hisoka is, the way he killed that man by burying a card in his head, he probably could've made that card cut through my collar and kill me altogether. And yet, for some reason, he didn't. Why in the world would he do that?

* * *

I must have been daydreaming for a while because when I checked my watch, ten hours were remaining before the third phase of the exam was over. There was still no sign of the boys. I was really worried now. If only I could barge my way through these doors and find them. Heh, I'd probably get myself disqualified. The only thing I could do was wait patiently.

I checked my watch again. One minute until the third phase would come to a close. I was about to give up hope when one of the doors opened. Out came Kurapika, Gon, Killua, Leorio and Tonpa.

"You guys made it!" I screamed, running towards them. I hugged Gon tightly. "I thought you guys were goners."

"It'll take more than that to stop us." said Leorio.

"Says the guy who cost us fifty hours," Tonpa retorted.

"Don't worry. I won't tell Valenia about you touching that prisoner." Killua whispered to Leorio.

"Shut up!"

A loud horn sounded and the gate to the outside opened, revealing the rising sun.

"We've made it." I said, relieved. I stared at the sun and smiled.

* * *

**Hisoka: You passed the test. So, I won't kill you. It's as simple as that.**

**Valenia: You scare me, Hisoka.**

**Hisoka: I'll take that as a compliment, dear.**

**Review! PLEASE?**


	13. Joker!

**Rafie: -hand on Val's shoulder- Good luck, chic.**

**Valenia: Oh, god... What are you planning?**

* * *

"You guys will be drawing lots." our examiner explained.

"Huh? Lots for what exactly?" I asked.

The examiner ignored me and continued on speaking. "You'll pick according to the order in which you arrived."

First was Hisoka. Second was a strange man that kept on shivering every time he moved. Third, fourth, fifth, et cetera. Soon, it was my turn. I was the tenth to arrive.

I reached into the box and took the first card I felt. Once, I had it, I walked away.

Eleventh, twelfth, thirteenth, fourteenth... twenty-first, twenty-second, twenty-third, twenty-fourth, twenty-fifth…

"Peel off the sticker." the examiner told us. I slowly peeled off the sticker on my card, revealing the word 'joker' written on it.

"The number written on your card will be your target."

Murmurs went through the crowd of candidates.

"Let me explain. All twenty-five of you will be left on Zevil Island for a week." he pointed at a small island that wasn't too far from here. "There, you'll attempt to steal the number card of your target. Your own number plate is worth three points. Your target's number plate is worth three as well. While, another candidate's number plate is worth one point."

I took my number plate and placed it in my pocket.

"How do we steal the number plate?"

"Why not just kill the candidate and take the number plate off his corpse?" one of the candidates suggested, grinning.

I swallowed hard. I wonder who got my number, I thought.

"To the unfortunate soul who got the joker card, that person has no target. All number plates he or she steals will all be worth one point."

I checked my card again. The word 'joker' mocked me.

"Well, good luck, candidates."

* * *

All of us made our way to a boat. It was supposed to take us to Zevil Island. I sat on one side of the boat with Leorio and Kurapika. I took off my sweater, revealing my black camisole and a number of scars... Oh, and also the burn mark on my chest.

"Whoa! Valenia!" Leorio screamed, staring at my scars.

I laughed, ignoring his look of disgust.

"What's that burn mark on your chest?" Kurapika asked.

"I did that. My Master engraved his family crest on my chest. Slaves under the age of eighteen can only be bound to a master by an item." I pointed at my collar. "Or by a family crest. I cannot be bound by official papers until I'm eighteen or older." I explained.

"So that's why you joined The Hunter Exam. If you can get rid of the collar now, then you won't be bound to any master."

I nodded.

"You really are something." Leorio said, still staring at my scars in disgust.

"I'm a slave. I'm used to torture." I said to him.

Leorio shook his head. "You don't deserve any of that torture." he said, ruffling my hair.

I buried my face in my hands. "I don't want to be a slave anymore. I will become a hunter. Then, I'll save my friends." I said through gritted teeth. Leorio sighed and pulled me in, hugging me tightly. I felt Kurapika patting my back.

"Come on, don't cry." he said.

"S-Sorry, c-couldn't help it." I stuttered.

Leorio hugged me tighter. "It's alright. It's alright."

I shut my eyes, blushing like hell.

* * *

The boat arrived at Zevil Island two hours after our departure.

"The order of which you enter the island will be according to which place you arrived in during the third phase. The next candidate can depart two minutes after the last." said the girl in charge of the boat.

"Looks like we'll be staying here a while." said Gon.

* * *

"The tenth candidate can depart." she said.

I looked back at the guys and waved goodbye. "Good luck, boys." I said, running ahead.

So, I suppose it's: Get three other number plates. Protect own number plate. And pass fourth phase of exam. OR DIE.

* * *

**Valenia: Dude, you're killing me. You may not notice it. But you're killing me.**

**Leorio: Need another hug?**

**Valenia: -nods-**

**Rafie: Sheesh, don't be such a baby. Review please!**


	14. Alliance

**Rafie: Hmmm, my chapters are getting shorter and shorter.**

**Valenia: That's less torture for me.**

**Rafie: Shush, I'm thinking of more ways on how to torture you.**

**Valenia: -glares-**

* * *

It was already the second day of the fourth phase of the exam and I was still wandering aimlessly through the forest in search of candidates. Why did I have to be the unfortunate one to get the joker card?

The bushes rustle behind me. I took my boomerang and threw it at them. It cut through the leaves cleanly, revealing Leorio.

"You scared me." I said, catching my boomerang.

"I scared YOU?" he asked in disbelief, "You threw the boomerang!"

"Alright, alright, I'm sorry." I said, laughing.

"Oh, yeah, whose number did you get?"

I took the joker card from my pocket and showed it to him. "Can you believe my luck?"

"I don't even know who I got." he said, showing me his card. Written on it was the number 246.

"Guess I'll have to steal three number plates." I mused, staring at Leorio.

"Don't even think about it."

I laughed. "Just kidding. Well, since you're here. Wanna team up?"

"Team up?" he asked.

"Yeah, why not? I'll watch your back. You watch mine. I'll help you get the number plate you need. You help me get at least one number plate. Sounds fair right?" I explained.

"I suppose... alright then."

"Partners?" I asked, extending my hand.

He took my hand and shook it. "Partners,"

The bushes behind us rustled. I took my boomerang again and threw it, revealing Tonpa. "What do you want?"

"Scram, Tonpa."

"Hey, hey, I'm just wondering if any of you had medicine for-" Tonpa's stomach grumbled and he held onto it, seething in pain. "Gah! I need to go!"

"I've got the medicine for that." said Leorio. "But, first, give me some information."

"Anything!"

"Tell me about number 246."

"Number 246 is a girl."

"A girl?" Leorio repeated.

"Yeah, Ponzu," said Tonpa, drawing her image on the ground with a stick. "She has a giant hat and, like most candidates, she makes use of drugs to overpower opponents."

"Drugs, huh?"

"She's not good with one-on-one combat, but she's great at setting traps. That's it, nothing special about her, really."

Leorio nodded and opened his suitcase.

"Gaaahhhh!" came a scream from above. A man with a stick jumped down, aiming the stick at Leorio. He dodged the blow, but toppled over his suitcase. Inside it was his number plate. A monkey came out of nowhere and took Leorio's number plate.

"Damn it." I threw my boomerang at the monkey. It missed the chimp by inches.

"I can't believe you were fooled by that." said Tonpa.

"Scum," I muttered, glaring at him. "I'm going after the monkey." I said to Leorio. He nodded and charged at Tonpa.

* * *

"Get back here!" I screamed, trying to keep up with the man and his monkey, who were both hopping through the trees. I threw the boomerang at the two thieves and missed. I threw it a few more times, missing every single time. I cursed and took a deep breathe. As I exhaled, I dashed forward, overtaking the two. Grinning sinisterly, I jumped up and snatched the monkey from the man's shoulder and started to strangle him.

"No!" screamed the man.

"You want him?" I asked and beckoned him to come down with my finger. "Then get down here."

* * *

I went back to the place where I saw Leorio, dragging the fainted monkey man and chimp with me.

"Hey, Valenia." Leorio called out. "Whoa,"

"That's four points for me."

"And my target was Tonpa." said Kurapika, emerging behind some bushes. "So I've got six points already."

"Lucky," murmured Leorio.

"Anything's better than a joker card, Leorio." I told him.

Leorio sighed. "Atleast I've got my number plate back."

* * *

**Rafie: Too bad, I liked that little chimp. Review please!**


	15. Sorry

**A wild chapter appears. What do you want to do?**

**Valenia used read.**

**Leorio used read.**

**Kurapika used read.**

**Killua used read.**

**Gon used read.**

* * *

"We've been wandering through this forest for hours." Leorio complained.

"There should be a river not too far from here." I explained. "Hold on." I climbed up a tree and scanned the area. Then I climbed back down.

"Well?"

"We keep walking north. I saw the river. It's not too far from here."

"Fine, fine,"

* * *

We continued on walking north. After some time, we finally found the river.

"Finally! Some water!" Leorio screamed, dunking his head into the water and drinking as much as he could.

The collar began to shock me again. Master was back.

"Valenia, is the collar hurting you again?" Kurapika asked me.

My eye twitched. "Yeah, but I'll be fine."

"One day, I'll definitely kill that master of yours."

"Don't say things like that, Leorio!"

"Why not? If you won't kill him, I will."

I glared at Leorio, pure anger in my eyes. "I will kill him. Not you, me. If you so much as lay a finger on him, I won't hesitate to MAKE you stay out of my way."

Leorio and Kurapika stayed silent, clearly taken aback by my words. I gasped, regretting what I said.

"Sorry." I whispered.

"We should keep moving." said Kurapika, taking his bag and walking north.

"Yeah," Leorio followed him, ignoring me completely.

Why did I just say that? Why, oh, WHY did I just say that?

* * *

Darkness was coming over Zevil Island. Kurapika, who was walking in front of us, stopped abruptly.

"Yo," said an all too familiar voice.

"Hisoka..." I whispered.

"Can I have your number plates?" he asked us.

"Who's your target?" Kurapika asked him.

"I asked the question first."

"We have five number cards." said Kurapika, "Three of them could be your target. Leorio's number is 404. And we have Tonpa's number card, which is 16. Neither of those two could be your targets, because my target is Tonpa. And Tonpa's is Leorio."

"What are the other two number plates?"

"Mine, Valenia's, and another number card we stole that's worth one point to all of us. If you try to steal any of our number cards," Kurapika took nun chucks from his bag. "We'll have no choice but to fight you."

I took my boomerang from its case, while Leorio took out a pocket knife. Hisoka looked at the three of us, clearly amused. "I won't fight you." he said, laughing.

"Eh? Really?"

"Just leave now, before I change my mind." he ordered us.

We nodded and left.

* * *

I sighed when we were finally able to escape from that psycho path. I turned to Leorio. "Look, I'm really sorry about a while ago. I just get really mad whenever I think of my master."

"I can understand that, but you were really scary a while ago." Leorio told me.

"Listen, guys." I said, "I'm gonna separate from you for now. I still need two number cards to be able to pass."  
"You're just gonna leave us?"

"Don't worry, if I find number 246, I'll take her number card. And I'll give it to you." I smiled and walked away, waving goodbye to the boys.

* * *

**A wild spoiler appeared. What do you want to do?**

**Nah, I don't give out spoilers.**


	16. Two Down, One to Go

**Rafie: V-A-L! Gooooo... Valenia!**

**Valenia: -rolls eyes-**

* * *

One day has passed since my separation from Leorio and Kurapika. After walking through the forest for some time, I saw Killua and three other candidates.

"Don't act stupid. My fingers are sharper than knives." said Killua, his incredibly sharp nails pointed at the boy's neck. I watched him from a distance. I knew that he sensed me because he looked my way and winked. I smiled back and watched as he played with the three idiotic candidates. In the end, he was able to get a hold of his target's number plate, along with two other number plates.

The first card, he threw up onto the sky, opposite to where I was sitting. While, the second, he threw toward me. I caught it in my hand, nodded at his direction and sped away.

* * *

"That's five points." I mused. "Maybe I should go find that other number card he threw." I stood up from behind the old tree and saw a bald man in black, running towards me at a ridiculously fast speed. I hid the number plate behind my back.

"I believe you have something that belongs to me." he said, slowing down.

"So, your target is number 197, huh?"

The man in black glared at me. "If you won't give me the number plate, then I'll kill you."

The collar started shocking me. This wasn't the right time to fight. "But, I don't wanna fight." I told him. "Tell you what: I'll run as fast as I can and try to get away from you. If you catch me, then I'll give you the number plate you need without a fight. But if you lose sight of me, then you can say goodbye to number plate 197. Got it?" Let me make your speed work against you, I thought.

The man in black smirked. "Alright."

"'Kay then!" I said, sprinting away from the man. The man smiled and shook his head. He started running toward me with incredible speed. I looked behind me and saw him gaining on me. I took my boomerang and used it to take hold of one of the branches. The force was strong enough to spin me around - I did a full spin, actually. The man in black sped in front of me, unable to stop at once. I stuck my tongue out at him, then sped away.

I realized, soon after, that the same trick doesn't work on the guy the second time. He almost caught me when I did the spin trick again. The only reason why I escaped was because I knew how to meddle with my aura. Well, not really… It sorta just… awakened when I needed it. I found myself speeding away from the bald man, running at an impossible speed. The good thing was that I was escaping. Soon, the bald man was gone. I was safe. I hid inside a cave and saw two candidates inside: One girl, Leorio's target, and an unfamiliar man.  
"You're..." my voice trailed away.

"I won't fight you, though. Guess we're both trapped I here."

"What do you mean?"

Before she could explain to me what she meant, Leorio entered the cave. "You're my target!" he screamed.  
She sighed. "We can't get out of here." Ponzu explained that anyone who tried to leave the cave would be attacked by snakes before they exit.

Leorio frowned. He ran back to the exit of the cave. "Kurapika! Gon! Don't come in the cave."

"Leorio!" I screamed, running after him, as I neared the cave exit, I could feel hundreds of snakes biting into me.

"Leorio!" I screamed again, grabbing his arm and pulling him back into the safe part of the cave.

"Idiot, idiot, idiot!" I sucked the poison out of one of his snake bites. Just then, Gon and Kurapika entered the cave and saw us.

"Valenia! Leorio!"

"He's been bitten multiple times." I told them.

"So have you."

"Yes, but I've been trained." I coughed, pain surging through my body.

"Regardless of that, we need to get you to a doctor."

"Stop trying." said Ponzu, clearly annoyed. "This is Bourbon the snake charmer. He set this snake trap for all the candidates who enter this cave."

"Can't we make him stop it?" Kurapika asked.

"No. He's already dead."

* * *

**I'm begging you to review. Please? Please? Please? I need some feedback, people!**


	17. Promise Me

**Rafie: Be prepared for a giant twist!**

* * *

"Gon, Valenia, take care of Leorio." Kurapika instructed us. He stood up and walked toward Bourbon. He reached out to inspect him, when a hundred snakes pounced from their hiding places and attacked. Kurapika jumped back.

"When trying to leave the cave and touching Bourbon, those are when the snakes attack."

"I see."

"Sneaky..."

Gon let go of Leorio and made him lean on me.

"Gon!" I screamed.

"I know it's there." he said. Walking toward Bourbon and reaching into his pocket. The snakes pounced, covering more than half of his body.

"Gon!" Kurapika and I called out in unison.

Gon recoiled holding a syringe and a small bottle in his hands.

"Is that..?"

"It's the antidote!"

I injected some of the medicine into Leorio's arm and did the same to Gon. After, I used the medicine on myself. Just as I was about to breath a sigh of relief, the collar started shocking me again.

"Crap..."

"Oh, so you were that slave girl." Ponzu murmured, looking at me curiously. "You are the one with the shock collar."

"Yeah," I said, still in pain.

"Are you alright?" Gon asked me.

"Yeah, fine. Never mind that. Right now, we need to get out of here." I turned to Ponzu. "How did you kill Bourbon?" I asked her, taking my bladed boomerang out.

"Easy girl, I came in here by using sleeping gas on him." she explained. "Then, I entered and saw that he was fast asleep. When I tried to take his badge, the snakes tried to bite me. So instead of killing him with my own hands, I called these guys." she tapped her big, yellow hat and bees exited, as if she were commanding them.

My eyes widened as I stared at the bees. "Whoa,"

"So, use the sleeping gas again. Put the snakes to sleep."

"The gas lasts for five minutes. Can you hold your breath for that long?"

"I can." I said.

"So can I." Gon added.

"Why should I trust you?" Ponzu asked, getting more and more annoyed.

"Because he's Gon, okay?" I retorted. "And I'm prepared to help you guys if he is."

"Also, why would he risk his life to get the antidote if he weren't prepared to help all of us?"

Ponzu glared at us then sighed. "Fine,"

Ponzu activated the sleeping gas and Gon and I held our breaths. I started counting in my mind and when five minutes finally passed, I carried and Leorio behind my back, while Gon carried Ponzu and Kurapika. We exited the cave.

"Valenia," Gon said, throwing Bourbon's number plate at me.

"And that's six points." I said, hugging Gon. "Thank you."

"Haha! No problem!"

Gon opened Ponzu's bag and took her number card. "We should give this to Leorio."

I nodded. "Yeah,"

* * *

Gon and I carried Leorio and Kurapika while they were asleep as far from the cave as we could. We spent the night atop a large tree. The fourth phase was coming to an end...

I opened my laptop and contacted Feldar. "Feldar."

"Valenia! Listen to this. I found an old book about magical circuits."

"What about them?"

Feldar opened a book and read a paragraph from it. "There are certain items that reassemble once broken. This is because of a magical circuit called an 'infragilis.' The infragilis is the circuit in the item that allows it to reconstruct itself every time it is destroyed. Once the infragilis circuit is cut or destroyed, then the item will stop reassembling. It will stay broken."

"Feldar! I love you!" I squealed.

Feldar winked at me then bid farewell.

* * *

I spent the rest of the night trying to get the stupid collar off. Looking for what was known as the 'infragilis circuit.' I cut through every inch of the collar, both vertically and horizontally (causing me to injure my neck). Finally, as the sun was rising and I was about to give up, my boomerang cut through the collar AND it didn't reassemble. It stayed broken. I was finally free.

"Wake up, people." I said, shaking the boys awake. "It's the last day of the fourth phase."

Leorio woke up, blinking the last traces of sleep in his eyes. "Morning," he blinked some more and took a closer look at me. "Your collar!"

"Yeah..." I whispered, "I'm finally free."

Leorio sat up, a bewildered expression on his face. "You're not gonna quit the Hunter Exam are you?"

"I've come this far. I might as well give it a shot."

"This is just me being selfish, but I'm glad you're staying." he said, scratching his head in embarrassment.

I laughed and continued to wake up the others. "I'm glad I'm staying too." I told him.

* * *

The four of us made our way to the starting point.

"Ooh, four more people are arriving!" said the girl who was on the boat before. I held up my number plate and three others. "Number 403, Kurapika. Number 404, Leorio. Number 405, Gon. Number 406, Valenia. These four candidates have passed."

I smiled, relieved then all of us got on the boat, which took us to the airship.

"By now, only 10 candidates are left." I said to the boys.

"Yeah, I wonder what the last phase is."

"I don't know what to expect."

"Candidates," said a voice from the speaker, "Mr. Neteros will be interviewing you one by one. When you hear your name, please proceed to his office. That's all."

* * *

I sat down on a corner with Leorio and opened my laptop. I typed in a series of codes so that I could contact Feldar.

"Feldar," I called out.

Master Xaphan's face appeared on screen, an evil grin on his face. "Hello, slave." he said mockingly.

"Y-You..." I stuttered, horrified by the image of the man who tortured me my whole life.

"Valenia, this is your..." Leorio's voice trailed off.

"He was my master..." I whispered.

"I see you've gotten rid of the collar." Xaphan said, "So, you're free from my torture. Sadly, these two are not." Xaphan adjusted the screen so I could see Feldar and Sophilia, injured and bruised, tied together, unconscious.

"You monster!" I screamed, fighting back tears.

"Bastard..." Leorio whispered.

Xaphan ignored me and continued to speak. "Valenia, if you want your friends to stay alive, then you must forfeit the Hunter Exam and come back. You have one day." then the screen went blank. I closed the laptop and started to cry.

"That monster..." I whispered, leaning on Leorio's shoulder and crying. Leorio kept silent, not saying anything, but sure of what was coming next.

"I need to go back..." I said.

"This is just me being selfish, but... please stay." he pleaded me.

I laughed quietly. "I can't let them die, Leorio. I can't."

"Alright." he said sadly. "I understand."

"Number 406, Valenia." said the voice from the speaker. I stood up, wiping tears from my eyes.

"I'm going to forfeit the Hunter Exam." I said to Leorio, then walked away.

* * *

"So, you are the infamous slave girl here." Mr. Neteros said, inspecting me head to toe.

"Yes... uhm... Mr. Neteros,"

"What is it?"

"I'd like to forfeit the Hunter Exam." I declared, not making eye contact.

"Why is that?" he asked me, curious.

"I'm afraid that's confidential, sir."

"Alright then, give me your number plate."

I removed the number plate that was pinned to my sweater and returned it to him, not hesitating for even a second.

"We'll be dropping off the candidates to the venue of the fifth phase, after that, we'll drop you off at the starting point of the first phase. Understand?"

"Yes." I stood up, bowed, then left the room.

* * *

"You forfeited the Hunter Exam?" Gon half-asked and half-screamed at me.

"My familys' lives are at stake. If I don't return to Altaria, my master might kill them."

"Your master is despicable." Kurapika commented.

"I know... hey, where's Leorio?" I asked.

"I haven't seen him."

"Me neither."

"Oh... okay." I walked away and stayed in a corner for the rest of the trip.

* * *

After a few hours, the airship arrived at the venue for the fifth phase of the exam. The candidates left one by one and I watched them as they left. When Leorio saw me, he smiled sadly and walked towards me.  
"This is goodbye." he said.

"Yeah..." I looked away. An awkward silence followed. "I… I can promise you this… We'll see each other again. I PROMISE I'll be back."

Leorio nodded. "Can you promise me one other thing?" he asked.

"What?"

"Promise me you'll kiss me when we meet again?"

I blushed and held out my hand. He took hold of it and we shook hands. "Deal,"

The airship rose from the ground and flew away. I stared at the candidates below. Actually, I was only staring at my friends. They were looking up, waving goodbye. I smiled and waved back.

We'll definitely meet again. Definitely.

* * *

**More chapters will come out next week (more or less).**


	18. Welcome Back

**Rafie: Welcome to Altaria.**

* * *

The airship took me all the way back to Zaban City, where I found the captain who was in charge of the ship that first brought me here.

"Captain, please take me to Altaria."

"That's a two-hour jour- Hey, slave girl." he greeted me.

"Why does everyone call me that?"

"Why are you here? Failed the Hunter Exam?"

"Not really... I forfeited..."

"Huh? Why?"

"That's confidential... can you please take me to Altaria? I'll pay you." I offered him.

"No need to pay me, slave girl. Get on."

"What? Why for free?"

"Because I like you. Much like how I like Gon, Kurapika, and that whacky businessman."

I laughed. "Thank you, Captain!"

* * *

The journey back to my homeland took two hours. The whole time, I was either biting my nails or pacing the floor nervously. When we finally arrived, I thanked the captain and dashed away, going through the pathway I remembered all too well...

"Name, ma'am?" the guard asked. I opened my mouth and closed it again. I raised my fist and punched the guard in the face. He fell back. Before he could scream for help, I took my boomerang and slit his throat.

"Name? Pfft, my ass." I kicked his body aside and climbed the giant gate separating me and the world of the rich and snotty.

* * *

"Maybe I shouldn't have killed that guy…" I muttered, staring at the massive amount of guards around me. Apparently, I was caught on camera when I assassinated that guard. Hah, welcome home, Valenia.

I managed to kill a few dozen idiotic cops, but after that, I was overpowered. I think I blacked out too because the next time I opened my eyes, I was in a prison cell. Infront of me were two whatevers tied to a rope which was attached to hooks on the ceiling. I blinked, focusing my eyes on the two figures.

Sophilia.

Feldar.

Those things were their heads.

I screamed, edging away from the severed heads. I had my back to the wall as I stared at their faces. They stared back at me, their faces looking inhumanly grotesque.

"What has he done to you guys?" I asked, tears flowing down my face. I tried to reach out, but my hands were tied behind my back. My feet were also bound together. I heard laughter from beyond the bars of the cell. It was the ringmaster, himself: Xaphan.

"Nice to see you again, worm." he said.

I turned to check if my boomerang was in its case. Nope, it's gone. Surprise, surprise…

I glared at Xaphan. My hatred for him was at its peak. I screamed ever so loudly, so loud that my throat started to hurt (a lot). But I didn't stop. I couldn't take my eyes off him. I couldn't stop screaming.

He threw a small dagger at me. I saw a glint of light, then it buried itself in my arm. I didn't stop screaming, though. I ignored the pain, like I always did. Xaphan laughed. "You're going to die tomorrow, little girl." he said. He burst into laughter and walked away. I was left in that cell. I was tired. I was sad. I was alone.

I stared at Sophilia and Feldar, their heads, at least.

"You left us." Feldar said to me. (Great… Now, I'm hallucinating.) Feldar kept on saying that while Sophilia stayed silent, watching me with her blood red eyes. Even though her eyes were like that, it was evident that she was sad, disappointed, and perhaps even mad.

"I'm sorry…" I whispered. Feldar was shouting the words now and Sophilia was crying. "I'M SORRY!" I screamed, trying to level my voice with Feldar's. I was crying, at that point. I stopped trying to scream as loud as Feldar and muttered apologies under my breath.

"THIS IS YOUR FAULT!" Feldar's voice wasn't his own anymore. It was twisted, demonic even. I had no more strength in me. I fell to the floor.

_What's left for me to live for?_

_How can I live knowing I left my own family behind and let them die?_

_How can I ever forgive myself?_

_How?_

_HOW!_

_It doesn't matter._

_Nothing matters anymore._

_The only thing I could possibly hope for was not waking up when the morning comes._

* * *

**Rafie: This was probably the least comical chapter, by far. Review please!**


	19. The Great Escape

**Rafie: New OC in this chapter. Just a head's up.**

* * *

_"I… I can promise you this… We'll see each other again. I PROMISE I'll be back."_

* * *

No… I can't die. Not yet. I opened my eyes and sat up. "I made a promise. I made a promise to Leorio…" I muttered, panting.

The knife that was buried on my shoulder's gone (What a surprise. Note my sarcasm). I bent down and started to chew the ropes tied to my feet. My aura seemed to strengthen again. I knew because I could feel my skin prickling. My teeth hurt like hell once I was finished and there was this lingering taste in my mouth. It tasted awful. It was like fruit skins, except harder and more bitter. Ugh.

I stood up and jumped over my joint hands. I started chewing on the rope. After what seemed like an hour, I was free. I walked toward the bars of the cell, trying not to look at the heads, and looked through them. The sun was shining through the tiny window by the door. I heard footsteps from beyond and dashed to the end of the room, hiding my feet and hands behind my back and pretending to be asleep.

Two men – guards – stood infront of my cell. I could see them through my less-than-half-open eyes. One of them took a key from his pocket and unlocked the cell. He opened the door and they both walked in.

"Wake up, slave girl." I opened my eyes. When they reached out to pick me up, I grabbed each of their hands and pulled them down. I stood up and shoved my knees into their backs, pushing them both down.

"No hard feelings… well, not really." I smiled and twisted their necks.

* * *

I bent down to pick up the keys. After, I went on my way. If there was one thing I knew that my master didn't know (or at least didn't have access to), it was the underground passage for slaves. ONLY SLAVES. It was created years ago for the protection of the innocent, slaves and masters alike – protection from the all-out battle between the blood-thirsty masters who yearned for gold and glory. It was said that my real parents died during that war because they were forced to fight by their master. Sophilia told me that she found me cuddled in a small nook in the passage. I was a year old, then. Now, the passage is used as a meeting place for slaves, or simply as a not-so-typical passageway.

So, the passage leads to different places, but there are three main passageways. One leads to the market, another leads to the city square, and the last leads to the entrance of Altaria. The others lead to either the backyards, or basements of some random, rich, snot-nosed master. One of those minor passageways led to Xaphan's basement. It's now or never.

* * *

I stealthily navigated my way across the city square, careful so that the guards wouldn't see me. Soon, I reached the hidden door. I opened it and lowered myself onto the tunnel, shutting the doors overhead immediately after my feet touched the floor. I dashed through the pitch-black tunnels. I knew them by heart, there was no stopping me. I swear I'm going to kill him, the monster who killed my family. I made a sharp turn and ran through a minor passageway. It was the one that led to Xaphan's mansion. I stopped short. There was a line of guards blocking my path to the basement door.

"You shouldn't be here!" I screamed. "No guard or master is allowed here!" The guards laughed and charged forward, spears, swords, knives – every sharp item imaginable – pointed at me. I was angry. I jumped over the nearest guard and swiped the rapier from his hand. Before he could react, I pushed the weapon through his heart. I withdrew the rapier and let the body fall to the floor. I grinned sinisterly and beckoned the guards to attack. Some fled, while the stupid ones stayed to fight. I killed each and every one of them. And I did it happily.

* * *

The guards were but puppets, idiots who did nothing but follow orders. Here in Altaria, the government was nothing. The president of this hell hole was a useless. All the power belonged to the masters. The masters were the puppeteers, the slaves were the helpless puppets, and the strings were made of gold.

The politicians? The so-called keepers of the peace? They sat aside and allowed the masters to torture us, counting their money, placing bribes on which master would reign supreme one day. They were spectators of the puppet show that went on, and on, and on…

* * *

I walked up the stairs and onto the first floor. I saw Xaphan sitting down on the couch, leisurely sipping wine. "I knew that old cell wouldn't hold you for long." he said.

"I'll take that as a compliment." I replied.

"Huhu, I see you're in a semi-good mood. This may change that…" he raised his hand and snapped. From behind a velvet curtain, emerged a boy with long, brown hair that was tied back. He had striking, blue eyes. The boy was a taller than me, but shorter than Leorio. He wore a black, leather jacket with its sleeves rolled up, a white shirt underneath, and dark blue jeans. On his right arm was a long, winding dragon tattoo. He held a pocket knife in one hand and there was a quiver and bow tied to his belt.

He was back.

"Hi, Val." he said casually. My eyes widened and the smile disappeared from my face. "You don't look happy to see me." His voice wasn't kind and gentle like before. It was deep and intimidating. It was almost scary.

"You remember this boy right, Valdera?" came in my master's voice. "I hired him to kill you." My eyes darted from the boy, to Xaphan, then to the boy again.

"Well?" Xaphan asked, growing impatient. "Kill her. Now!"

The boy only shook his head. His grin grew bigger.

"I paid you to kill this wench! Do as I say!"

"Yes, you did. But if you were killed now, the guards would blame it on Val. And she'd become the most wanted criminal of Altaria. Don't you think the president would declare that he'd pay… let's say a trillion for her head? Don't you think that I'd make much more money if were able to turn her in?"

Xaphan tried to scream but the boy threw the pocket knife. It hit Xaphan right in the neck. After a matter of seconds, he was dead.

The boy turned to me and threw me a small, but heavy backpack.

"In there, is five hundred million jenny and your stupid boomerang. I stole it from your master's safe." he smiled. "Get out of here. The next time we see each other, we'll be enemies. And I swear I'll kill you, if the government lets me."

I stared at him in disbelief. "You promised you would never become a puppet. You promised…"

His smile disappeared. A dark glare replaced it. "Get out."

I looked away and dashed toward the window. I jumped through it, shutting my eyes as I felt the shattered pieces of glass brush through my skin. I could here him shouting: "SHE KILLED HIM!" from inside the mansion. That was it. I was officially a fugitive.

I reached the dock and climbed up a departing ship, paying the captain so that he'd take me to Zaban City.

* * *

**Rafie: Wowie! That was a really serious chapter! Don't forget to review!**

**I'd like to thank Frozen Crystal Angel for correcting my spelling. Fufufu...**


	20. Days in Hitman Training Camp

**Rafie: This is a little story about Valenia's past.**

* * *

Master dropped me off in front of what looked liked a prison, although "Prison" wasn't written on the sign that sat right above the gate. Instead, it was "Camp". I had no idea why I was here. Master grunted, pulling my hair as he walked toward the guard.

"Agh!" I groaned when I was forced to follow him.

"This is Valdera." he said to the guard. The man looked at my master, then at me and nodded. He pushed one of the buttons on the control panel and the doors of the gate swung open.

Master Xaphan tugged at my hair and walked forward. He made me stand in front of him and pushed me onto the ground, after which, he left.

"I'll be back in a month, slave." he called out, before he got into his car and drove away.

I stood up and looked around. Everyone was staring at me. A lot of the people here were much older than me. A tall man walked up to me. "So you're the slave girl. How old are you?"

"Twelve," I replied.

"Just because you're the young, doesn't mean I'm going easy on you."

"Understood, sir."

"Good," He looked up at the other 'campers'. "Come on, time to train!" he screamed. The men and women lined up facing the tall man. I squeezed myself in between two them and stood straight, staring at the space in front of me.

"We have a newcomer today." the man said, "She's twelve years old. Her name is Valenia Valdera. Valenia will be training with us for a month. Let's make her feel welcome."

All eyes turned to me. "By the way, I'm your trainer, Sir Frans."

I nodded. "It's a pleasure to meet you, sir."

"I hope we can change that." he replied, "Let's see what you're made of." he beckoned one of the men forward. He was a teenager with a red eye patch above his left eye, about three to four years older than me.

"Fight him." sir Frans commanded me. I stepped forward, taking out my boomerang. My opponent took a short scimitar from behind his back. It made him look like a pirate.

Sir Frans stepped back and the boy lunged. I crouched down and kicked at his feet and he fell, face-down. He got up, his face expressionless as if nothing had happened. The boy balled his hands into fists. He lunged at me again and threw dust into my eyes. As soon as I shut my eyes, I felt pain shot through my right whole arm. I screamed.

"That's enough." I opened my eyes and blinked, trying to see through the dust. "That's enough, Elosch." It was Sir Frans's voice.

The boy named Elosch withdrew the scimitar from my shoulder and walked back to his place in line. Sir Frans kicked my stomach and I groaned. "Hmph, you'll never survive the last test." I blacked out.

* * *

I woke up in a bed, a stone bed to be exact with the wound on my shoulder in bandages. "You're awake." said a voice. It was a girl. She looked like she was twenty. "Sir told me to bring you outside when you came to."

I looked out a nearby window. It was really dark. I was probably out for an hour.

"Come on." The girl took my hand and led me back to the field outside. Sir Frans stood in the middle, standing straight like he always did. "Punch my hand." he said, when we were both alone. I did, with all my strength. He didn't move an inch. "Your master paid me to make sure you'd become a great fighter, a killer even. But if you can't even make me move an inch, then you have no right to call yourself your master's protector."

I punched him again, and again, and again. We were at it until dawn. By the time the sun was coming up, he was still in place. A crowd of 'campers' were gathering around to watch us. When Sir Frans noticed this, he raised his hand, signaling me to stop.

"Single file!" We all lined up. "Now, we all know what a hitman is. All, but Valdera know, at least."

He walked up to me. "A hitman is like a bounty hunter except he works for the government. Whenever there's a criminal that Altarian guards can't handle, that's when hitmen come in. Welcome to hitman training camp, kid."

* * *

**Rafie: I've been listening to this song by Cady Groves, "This Little Girl". And it suits ya, Val.**

**Valenia: I hate to admit that you're right, but yeah, it does.**

**Rafie: It's really catchy!**


	21. Last Exam

**Rafie: Ello, ello! It's part two of Valenia's days in hitmen camp!**

* * *

It was cold and all I was wearing was an old t-shirt and shorts. My boomerang hung from the case that was tied right below my left shoulder. I sat up on the rock bed, bed rock… whatever you call it. All I know is that it's not a bed. With the un-comfy-ness of it plus the unbearable cold, it's almost impossible to sleep. The time was twelve in the morning, three more hours until it was time to get up and train.

"Can't sleep, huh?" said a voice from the darkness. I shook my head.

A boy stepped into the faint light that came from outside. He looked like he was my age.

"Me neither. You're name's Valenia, right?" I nodded.

"I'm Izakiel. My parents were killed some time ago so I enrolled myself here. I've been in this place for nine months already." I nodded.

"Do you ever speak?" he asked, raising an eyebrow at me.

"'Course," I replied.

He laughed and so did I. We spent the rest of the three hours talking about nonsense like how snotty masters are and what the outside world would be like.

"Puppets of the military, that's what they'll become." he said.

"What do you mean?"

"These Altarians have a way with us, innocent slaves, you see. They brainwash us. It's like fiddling with one's conscience, making it say something like 'Follow the Altarians.' or 'Do not question those above you.' Once they're done, you'll be just another puppet, a mindless, blood-thirsty puppet of the government. You get what I mean?"

"Yeah, I think so." I looked at Isakiel and held up my pinky finger. "Promise me you won't become a puppet, Isakiel. And I promise I won't become one, either."

He smiled and took my pinky finger in his. "I promise."

* * *

Soon enough, it was three in the morning. The trumpet sounded, signaling that it was time to get up.

"Race ya." Izakiel challenged me.

"You're on."

We both dashed to the field. Izakiel was only a few inches in front of me. I ran faster, trying to catch up to him. Though in the end, he won. Yes, sir, it was another day of training. But this time, I think I've made a friend.

For the first time in days, I had so much fun. I didn't mind the pain, the fatigue – I didn't mind any of the shit Sir Frans called 'torture'. Frankly, I didn't care. And soon enough, Sir Frans gave up.

* * *

After a few more days of so called 'torture', it was my last day in Camp. I woke up at three in the morning, like everyone else did. We lined up in the training field and Sir Frans stood before us. "A hitman should be fast. A hitman should be clever. A hitman should not hesitate to kill. A hitman should do his or her job – and do it well. Am I right?" he turned to stare at each and every one of us.

"YES, SIR." we all said.

"A hitman who cannot kill is no hitman at all."

"YES, SIR."

"What is the date today?"

"DECEMBER 31st, SIR."

"Right, it's everyone's last day here. All who pass the last exam will go on and become hitmen of the government. Failing the last exam means death."

I stared at Sir Frans, mouth agape. He smiled and continued on speaking. "I'm not using any stupid metaphors. For the last exam, the gates will be locked tight, the electric fences will be activated, and a whole table full of weapons will be laid out just for you 'campers'. For the rest of the day, you'll be allowed to kill anyone you want, whether it's a 'camper', a guard, or me. But, you cannot leave the premises. Only those who survive will be ordained as hitmen and be free to go. Is that clear?"

"YES, SIR."

"The exam starts when you hear the trumpet and ends at five in the afternoon." Sir Frans walked back into his office and shut the door behind him.

Two guards entered through the door carrying a table filled with weapons. I stared at it and smiled. There wasn't a single bladed boomerang. After the two guards left, we watched as another climbed to the top of the guard tower. He raised the trumpet to his lips and whatever happened next could be described as 'hell', or 'pandemonium'. It was pure Armageddon. I took my boomerang. I was no longer weak. I was a fighter. I was a killer.

A 'camper' charged at me. I ducked down, dodging his attack and standing again to stab him from behind. A hand grabbed my arm and pulled me to the back of one of the bunk houses.

"Izakiel!"

"Sshh," he held his finger to my lips and pointed at a hole in the ground. "You need to get out." He pushed me into the hole.

"What about you?" I asked, tugging at his sleeve.

"Your master will protect you. He will, in his own way, that is. If I escape now, the guards will kill me."

Before I could say another word, Izakiel covered up the hole with a giant boulder.

"No!" I tried to push the boulder away, but to no avail. All I could do was scream, and plead, and scream again.

"Valenia, you need to go. Please." Izakiel's voice was calm. "Please."

I began to cry. "Izakiel… Don't forget. Don't forget… you made a promise. You won't become a puppet, okay?" I was still pounding at the boulder.

"Shush… don't cry. I promise I won't. Now, go!"

I lowered my fists and wiped the tears away. "Goodbye." And at that, I crawled through the hole and escaped.

* * *

**Rafie: Don't forget to review, people!**


	22. She's Back!

**Rafie: This is the beginning of the Zoldyck Family arc.**

**Valenia: Illumi's creepy.**

* * *

I ran into the conference room and found Mr. Neteros sitting behind a desk.

"Good morning, Valenia." he said.

"Mr. Neteros, can you please tell me where Gon and the others are?" I asked, no, I pleaded.

"They're in the Padokea Republic, by now. They're on their way to Kukuroo Mountain." Mr. Neteros replied simply.

I scratched my head. "I didn't expect you to give it up this easily, haha…"

"Leorio Paladinight told me to tell you where they were headed and why."

"So… why are they going there?"

"Have a seat." I stepped forward and took a seat on the chair in front of the table.

"For the last phase of the Hunter Exam, each of the candidates was supposed to go head to head. Only the one was to be disqualified."

"Who was it?"

"Killua was the one. He killed a candidate who wasn't his opponent. So he was disqualified and he left. The remaining participants were given a Hunter card.

"Your friends are on their way to Kukuroo Mountain because they want to find Killua. According to his brother, that's where their home is. And he knows that Killua is there." A dramatic silence, then Mr. Neteros spoke again, "I assume you're going to follow them."

I got up and smiled. "A sad Killua just won't do. Also, I made a promise to someone. And I intend to keep it."

"You and Killua are very much alike. You're both trained to kill. BUT, you have one skill that he doesn't." He laughed silently and I raised an eyebrow at him. "You can sheathe your sword after it has been drawn. That is a skill, essential to those who yearn to become hunters. And you even know a bit of Nen. You will take the Hunter Exam again, won't you, Valenia?"

My smile grew bigger, and my cheeks turned slightly red. "I will."

* * *

I took the express ride to the Padokea Republic (a normal trip would take half a day, but an express trip only takes up two hours) and started asking around about Kukuroo Mountain.

"Ah, another one eager to find out about the Zoldycks, eh?" said a fruit merchant. I took an apple and bit into it, giving him a few coins as I did. "Well, the only way to get to the top of the mountain is to take the tour bus which is leaving right now." I turned and saw a small, orange bus turn right and disappear from behind a wall of earth.

"WAIT!" I screamed, running after it. "Agh, too late…" I looked around, in search of some sort of vehicle. I saw a man advertising about gecko-horse (body of a horse, tail of a gecko) rides and ran to him.

"How much for one gecko-horse?" I asked.

"They're not for sale." I grunted and gave the man five hundred jenny. Without another word, he took hold of the rope attached to one of his gecko-horses and handed it to me. "Nice doing business with you." he said.

I hopped onto the animal and smiled. "Pleasure," I pulled the rope twice and it sped forward.

"C'mon, boy, follow the bus." I whispered into the gecko-horse's ear. As if it understood, it ran faster, catching up with the tour bus. I could see someone's head peek out of the vehicle. Black hair with green tips.

"Gon!" I screamed. He looked back and a giant smile formed on his face. He said something to someone inside the bus and out came Leorio and Kurapika.

"What took you so long?" Gon called out.

"I'm lucky to even be here!" I screamed back.

* * *

After a few more minutes, the bus came to a stop in front of a giant gate. We were here.

I dismounted the gecko-horse and gave it an apple. "Thank you." I whispered.

I walked toward Gon, Kurapika, and Leorio, who were all looking at me, smiles on their faces. Hell, I ran and hugged each of them.

"I thought I'd never see you again." Leorio said, hugging me tightly.

"Don't you have any faith in me?" I retorted. I drew back and stared at the gate again. "So this is where Killua lives, huh?"

"That's what Illumi said." Kurapika explained, "Illumi was in the Hunter Exam. He disguised himself as the man with multiple pins on his face."

"I don't understand why Killua freaked out like that, though."

"I believe that was also Illumi's doing. When it was time for Killua to go against him, Killua seemed… different. It was like Illumi was hypnotizing him."

I shuddered. "Creepy,"

As we neared the gate, we saw two men bullying the guard who was supposed to be keeping people like them out.

"We want to show these people that the Zoldycks are weak." said one of them.

"Yeah, we'll show 'em who's boss." said another. He threw the poor guard aside and swiped the key. The two made their way to a smaller gate and entered through it. They didn't last long. A few shrieks came from inside. After, a big, purple paw emerged from the tiny gate and dropped two skeletons onto the ground. I blinked to make sure I wasn't hallucinating. Nope, it was real.

The innocent tourists ran back into the bus and it sped away, leaving the four of us.

"Are you okay?" Gon asked the guard.

"Yes, yes." he looked at us. "Who are you?" he asked.

"I'm Gon. These are Leorio, Kurapika, and Valenia."

"Please come in." he said, beckoning us into his guard station.

"So, you're Killua's friends." he said, "It's nice to see that young master has some good friends. Thank you for coming."

"It's no trouble."

"But, I cannot let you go through the gate. If I do, Mike will kill you."

"Then, how do you get through to the Zoldyck house?" Kurapika asked, "If you didn't need to cross to their house, you wouldn't have a key."

The old guard smiled. "Clever... You know that there are two gates, correct? Most idiots would ask for the key to the small gate and completely ignore the big gate. When in truth..."

"The big gate isn't locked."

"Exactly,"

"So," I began, "How exactly do we open the big gate?"

"Easy!" Leorio said confidently. He walked out and took his place behind the gate, then, with all his might, he tried to push it open. But to no avail.

"Are you sure this gate is open?" he asked, panting.

"Allow me." said the guard. He took off his uniform and walked toward the gate. He placed his hands on the cold metal then pushed. The gate budged, but only a bit.

"There's more than one gate, isn't there?" I asked, staring at the intricate design of the giant pile of metal.

The old guard looked back at me. "That's right. This first door weighs two tons exactly. And each gate is two times heavier than the last." he explained.

"Two tons!?"

"This gate is called the testing gate. Whoever is able to enter through here will not be killed by Mike."

"I came here to see my friend not to be tested." Gon said, "Please give me the key to the small gate."

"Wait, ah, please, wait here." the guard said. He returned to his station and dialed his phone. He spoke into it, telling whoever was on the other side that the young master's friends were here to see him.

"Yes... Yes... I'm sorry... Alright, thank you." the guard put down the receiver and looked back at us. "That was the butler of the Zoldyck family. He is the one who receives all messages from outsiders. One cannot simply contact a Zoldyck when one pleases."

"Can I talk to him?" Gon asked.

"Ah, yes. But, I warn you, it won't be pleasant." The guard, once again, took the phone and dialed in the correct numbers. He gave it to Gon and we waited.

"Hello, this is Gon. Killua's friend. May I speak with him?" Gon asked the butler. Gon remained silent for a while then put down the receiver. He picked it up once more then dialed the number again.

"LET ME SPEAK WITH KILLUA, NOW!" he screamed.

The three of us behind him stepped back, clearly bewildered by his sudden outburst. He kept silent again then slammed the receiver down. He walked out and threw the end of his fishing rod to the the top of the gate. After which, he began to climb up.

"Gon! Don't act so recklessly!" I screamed, running outside.

"I need to see Killua." he called out.

"Wait." said the guard, "I'll let you enter."

We all looked at him, waiting patiently.

* * *

"Are you sure that guard dog won't kill us?" Leorio asked.

"We entered through the testing gate. He won't hurt us." the guard replied, "Mike! Come here, Mike!"

The four of us froze, not sure of what to expect.

"I've had bad experiences with guard dogs..." I murmured, "When Xaphan tells me to assassinate one of the people who live on Altaria, I would always be chased by a guard dog on my way inside."

"Yeesh, Valenia."

Suddenly, a giant wolf emerged from the darkness. The boys looked freaked out. But I thought it was...

"Cute..." I whispered.

"What!?"

"I think he looks cute." I said. I walked toward the wolf and smiled at it. "Most of the dogs who see me bare their fangs. This one didn't."

Gon stared into the creature's eyes, completely frightened.

"Mike has been trained to kill. He has no emotions whatsoever. Am I right?" I asked the guard.

"That's correct." he said, "Right now, Mike is memorizing your appearances and scents. It's like he's archiving your physical characteristics.

"Well, shall we go?" the guard asked.

"Yes." Gon said.

I walked away from Mike and back to my friends. "Let's go."

The guard walked ahead of us. As we entered the forest got thicker and thicker. I had no idea what to expect.

* * *

**Leorio: I feel like we're forgetting something...**

**Valenia: Yeah... but I just can't remember.**


	23. Sneaking Through Killua's Garden

**Rafie: For some reason, whenever I think of Mr. Zebro, I think of a zebra...**

* * *

Mr. Zebro, the guard, led us to another guard station inside the Zoldyck property.

"This isn't a teacup..." I said, lifting it slowly and sipping a bit of tea.

"Heh, you're right." the guard said, "It weighs twenty kilograms."

"What?! Twenty kilograms?!" Leorio and Kurapika said in unison.

"Trust me, I have no idea how I'm able to lift this thing." I said, though I could feel my aura strengthening around me.

"Well, why don't you train here?" Mr. Zebro suggested.

"Train? What do you mean?" Gon asked.

"Every single piece of furniture here is no less than twenty kilograms. If you train hard enough, then I will let you try to open the testing gate again because they, the Zoldycks, will surely order Mike to kill you if you don't."

The four of us exchanged glances, then nodded.

"Alright, put these on." Mr. Zebro took four vests from a cabinet and threw them at us.

I caught the vest and almost fell over. But, I quickly regained my footing and stood up straight.

"Each vest weighs one-hundred kilograms." he explained.

I put the vest on, my eye twitching every second.

"Excuse me, do you have a restroom?" Leorio asked.

"Right over there."

"Don't tell me. The door-..."

"Yep, it weighs fifty kilograms."

"WHAT?! EVERYONE GET OUT! I CAN'T HOLD IT ANYMORE!"

* * *

For the past three days, we did nothing but train. Except Gon, who broke his arm during the fifth place of the exam.

"Gon, let go of the freaking chair!" I screamed.

"No! I wanna train too!"

"Idiot! You're arm is broken! You need to let it heal!"

"Gon, stop being so stubborn." Kurapika said, shaking his head.

"Let go of the chair." Leorio added.

Gon sighed and let go of the piece of furniture. I took it and balanced it on one finger.

"Show off." Leorio snarled.

I stuck my tongue out at him. Thank you, aura! I thought.

"It's useless. You guys will never open the gate." a man said. It was another guard – a less courteous one.

"Nah, we're gonna save Killua. Regardless of what stands on our way, we will definitely save him." I said, throwing the chair at him.

He caught the chair and dropped it.

"Valenia's right." Gon said, "We'll save Killua. No doubt about it."

I turned to look at Gon. "But for your sake, promise me you'll sit this one out, Gon."

Gon scratched his hard and smiled. "Alright, alright, fine."

I ruffled his hair. "Good."

* * *

Lifting chairs, teacups, tables, teapots, plates, and a million more pieces of furniture. Soon, we were brought to the testing gate once again.

"You guys ready?" Kurapika asked.

I took my place at the center of the gate, one hand on each side of the gate. Leorio and Kurapika took their places beside me and we pushed like there was no tomorrow.

"Gah! It won't budge!"

"Like I said, you'll never open it." the mean guard said.

"If you have nothing good to say. Then, shut the hell up." I said, anger building up inside me. The guard grunted then returned to his post.

"Let's try again." I said.

* * *

We kept on pushing for another hour, finally Mr. Not-so-nice guard got tired and screamed, "Hey! If you really want it to budge, watch your timing! Don't just push like senseless bimbos!"

I smiled and nodded at him, mouthing the words "I'm sorry."

The guard glared at me then left, leaving us to push again.

Gon, who was watching behind us, took off his cast and walked toward the gate. He put his hands on the gate and started to push with us.

"Gon, your arm!"

"It's fully healed." he reassured us. "On the count of three, we push as hard as we can... one..."

"Two..."

"Three!"

Our combined efforts were able to open the first gate. I sighed and dashed inside. I saw Mike staring down at the four of us.

"I still think he's creepy." Leorio said, panting.

"Aww, come on. He's cute!"

* * *

The four of us and the guard travelled a fair distance from the testing gate. Soon, Mr. Zebro bid us farewell. He told us to just follow the path that's supposed to lead to the top of the mountain. We crossed paths with a girl with curly hair. She blocked the path in front of us.

"I am an apprentice butler of the Zoldycks, you must leave." she commanded us.

"We're here to see Killua." Gon said.

The girl drew a line on the ground with her scepter. "If you pass through this line, I'll use force to get rid of you."

Gon walked forward. When he stepped on the line, the girl hit him on the face painfully with her scepter. He was thrown back. The three of us took out our weapons, but Gon stopped us.

"Let me handle this." he said.

For thirty whole minutes, it was the same routine. He'd walk toward her. She'd hit him and then he'd get up and the cycle would start again.

"Why don't you stop him? He's your friend isn't he?" the girl asked. Gon got up again and laughed.

"Kilua is my friend... I won't stop until you let us pass." he informed the girl, "Besides, whenever I say his name, you're eyes soften."

The girl gasped. She stared at the four of us then lowered her scepter. "Please save Master Kil-"

A projectile was fired and it hit the girl on the side of her head. She fell back, unconscious.

The four of us rushed toward her. I turned my head to find out where the projectile came from. I saw a girl with a strange visor and a Lolita dress.

"You make it sound like what we're doing to dear Killu is bad." she said, "You must be Killua's friends. I have a message from him. It's: "Thank you for coming, I appreciate it. But, I can't see you guys right now. Sorry."

"You're despicable." I said, anger building up inside me. "Everyone is dispensable to you, am I right?"

The woman stared at me, smiling broadly. "She is but a slave."

"Even a slave deserves respect."

"Why are you so angry, child? Could it be that you were once a slave as well? How pitiful."

That did it. I took off my sweater, revealing the scars and the burn mark on my body. "Scum like you have no place here." I said.

"A mere slave wants to fight me?" The woman laughed, clearly full of herself.

"Valenia..."

"I want to fight her." I said to the boys behind me. They nodded and I stepped forward.

The woman raised her scepter and fired a flame projectile at me. I moved out of the way and jumped above her, attempting to kick her. She raised her scepter and swatted me away effortlessly. I was thrown back. I stood up again and lunged at her. She fired another projectile. I ducked out of the way and tried to kick her head. She stepped back and grabbed my neck.

"Don't think you can win against an assassin, child." she pointed her scepter at my neck and fired. I was thrown back. Pain shot up my body.

"Valenia!" Leorio rushed to my side. I felt the burned spot on my neck.

"I'm fine." I stood up.

"Pathetic," she said, "WHAT?! FATHER IS-?! NO!" she screamed.

"What the hell?"

"I must go." she snarled, stepping back and disappearing into the darkness.

"Tsk," I took my sweater from the ground and put it back on. "How is she?" I asked the boys.

"You should be worrying about yourself. You took a direct hit from the woman."

Leorio stood up and felt the skin on my neck. I blushed.

"The wound isn't too serious." he told me, "Idiot, this isn't the time to act reckless."

"Sorry..." I muttered.

* * *

**Valenia: We're still forgetting something...**

**Leorio: Rafie, do you remember?**

**Rafie: Nah. (Of course I remember.) Anywho, I'd like to thank JigokuShoujosRevenge for correcting my misplaced name, hehe.. *embarrassment* **


	24. Gotta Love the Coin Dance

**Rafie: New chapter! Booyah! **

**THIS (AND THE NEXT FEW CHAPTERS) IS BASED ON THE HUNTER X HUNTER MUSICAL ENTITLED "THE NIGHTMARE OF ZAOLDYECK" (MINUS THE SINGING). IF YOU WANNA WATCH THE MUSICAL, IT'S AVAILABLE ON YOUTUBE. IT'S GOT SUBTITLES!~~**

* * *

"We need to find Killua."

"But we can't just leave this chic here."

"She's waking up."

The apprentice butler slowly opened her eyes. She sat up. "I'll take you to the butler's residence."

"Eh? You sure you can with that?" Leorio asked, pointing at the burn mark on her forehead.

"Don't worry. I'll be fine. I'm Canary, by the way." she told us, "Please follow me." She picked herself up and walked in front of us as if nothing had happened. We all exchanged worried glances but decided to follow her. We made our way deeper into the forest, nearing the mountain little by little.

"Here we are." said Canary. She pointed at a mansion that was atop a patch of elevated land.

"Won't the Zoldycks get mad at you if they found out about this?" Gon asked.

"I'm already in trouble. And the Zoldycks already know what I'm trying to do."

I sighed. "We might as well go on. There's obviously no turning back."

"Let's go!" Gon said, dashing forward.

* * *

We ran for, more or less, thirty minutes. When we reached the butler's residence, we received a warm greeting from a few men in suits.

"We welcome you to the Zoldyck estate." they said in unison.

The butlers beckoned us into the mansion and led us into the room where tea was served.

"Ah, it doesn't weigh twenty kilograms." Leorio said, sighing in relief.

"Umm, we came here to see Killua. Where is the Zoldyck house?" Gon asked.

The butler flipped a coin and caught it in one of his hands. He raised his hands and showed us his fists. "Which hand is the coin in?" he asked, ignoring Gon's question completely.

"The left hand," the four of us said in unison.

The butler smiled and opened his hands, revealing that the coin was in his left hand. "I'll make it more difficult this time." The butler, once again, tossed the coin in the air and caught it. "Which hand?"

"But-"

"Answer the question."

"The left,"

"That's right." The butler tossed the coin in the air. But this time he didn't simply catch it. He played with it, his hands darting from one place to another at incredible speed. It was almost impossible to see where the coin went. Almost.

Finally, the butler caught the coin in one of his hands and raised his fists, letting us pick. "I despise all four of you because you want to take Killua away from his family. His mother is very depressed. It's all because of you people."

We stared at the butler, none of us daring to move an inch.

"This is a special game, you see. Whoever gets a wrong answer will be disqualified. If all four of you get disqualified, then I'll kill you and Canary."

One of the butlers behind us took a knife and grabbed Canary from behind, pointing the blade at her neck.

"Now, which hand is the coin in?"

"It's in the left." Leorio said.

"No, right." I said.

"Right," Gon and Kurapika said in unison. Leorio glared at us, but kept silent.

The butler opened his hands. The coin was in his right hand.

Leorio groaned.

The butler repeated the sequence then told us to choose.

"Left," Gon said, unsure.

"Left," Kurapika said, not sure either.

I decided to play it safe and chose, "Right,"

The butler revealed the answer: Left.

"That leaves two of you." the butler threw the coin in the air. But this time, his hands moved two times faster than the last time. I tried to search for the coin, but I simply could not spot it, for his hands moved too quickly.

"Which hand?"

"Left,"

"Right,"

The butler smiled. "Playing it safe, are you?" he opened his fists. The coin was in his left hand. Gon was the last man standing.

The butler stood up and adjusted his tie. He showed Gon the coin once more before throwing it in the air and juggling it with two more butlers. Suddenly, the hand movements stopped, before Gon were four possible choices.

But, he chose neither of those. He pointed at the butler that stood behind us and said, "The coin is with him!"

The butler behind us showed us his hand and the coin was there, just as Gon had said.

The butler smiled. He stood up and clapped his hands. "Splendid, Killua's friends are truly very skilled."

"You're acknowledging us as his friends?" Gon asked, happily.

He nodded.

"Who are you?" Gon asked.

"I'm Gotou." he answered, "We'll send Killua a letter, telling him that you're here. I can guarantee that he'll get it. For now, you can stay here."

* * *

The four of us and Canary were led into small room with a balcony that overlooked part of the forest and the giant gate. Gon and Canary went out to talk about Killua while Leorio and Kurapika started to ask me about what happened in Altaria. In one year, tops, all the hitmen of Altaria are going to be hunting for me. But, I couldn't tell them that. So, let me just give you a quick summary of everything I told them:

Lie, lie, lie, truth (Sophilia and Feldar being dead), lie, lie, lie, and more lies.

Once we find Killua, I'm going to have to say goodbye. I can't make them suffer for something that's completely my fault. I won't be able to forgive myself if they die because of me.

"I'm glad you're safe." Kurapika said.

"Definitely," Leorio added.

Just then, Gotou entered the room. "Gon, Kurapika, Leorio, Valenia, I have news. Killua is on his way here. It seems he's leaving with you guys."

* * *

"Gon!"

"Killua!" The two kids ran up to each other and hugged. It was a really cute thing to see, I have to admit.

I walked up to Canary and smiled. "Don't let that bitch treat you however she likes." I rolled up my sleeve and showed her a few of my scars.

Canary stared at my arm and nodded. She looked happy.

I ran to catch up with the others.

* * *

"It's Leo-rio! Not Riolio! Get it right!"

Killua ignored him and turned to me. "Valiena, right?"

"Va-le-nia," I said slowly so that he could notice the difference.

"Valenia," he repeated.

"There, you got it." I smiled.

"Why can't you be as nice as Valenia?" Killua asked Leorio.

"WHAT?!"

"Ah, Gon!" It was Mr. Zebro. He was running after us. It seemed like he had just come from the Zoldyck mansion. "Tonight, they're having a send-off party for Killua. You're all invited. Killua's father would like to meet you kind people."

Gon smiled, before he could say 'yes', Killua spoke up: "Ugh, what a pain. No thanks."

"Wait! Killua," Gon squealed, "All your family members are gonna miss you when you leave. We might as well go."

"He's right, Killua. You're lucky to have a family." I said.

Leorio patted my head. "This is our chance to experience first-class living!" he added.

We all turned to Kurapika. His stomach grumbled.

"So, it's decided." Gon said happily, "We're attending the party!"

* * *

**Valenia: Hah! Illumi's stage actor's a girl! And so is Kurapika's!**

**Kurapika: Surprise, surprise... Gon's actor's a girl too.**

**Leorio: So is Killua's.**

**Gon: Leorio's the only guy. **

**Killua: How annoying...**

**Rafie: Check back soon for the next chapter. Don't forget to review! **


	25. Party!

**Rafie: I'll be taking those... *takes Val's clothes and runs out***

**Valenia: *walks in* Wha-? Where are my clothes?!**

* * *

"I can't move…" Gon said. He wore a very tight suit and tie.

"Why do I have to wear this thing?" Leorio asked, holding onto the cloth of his traditional Japanese costume.

"It's the way of this household." Kurapika said, looking stylish in a businessman's outfit. "All we can do is put up with it."

"But this is totally unnecessary!" I said, walking down the stairs in a dark red, knee-length dress. "Someone stole my clothes…"

The boys stared at me, their mouth open, wide.

I blushed. "GAH! Quit looking!"

"You look beautiful…" I suppose you can guess who said that. My face could be mistaken for an overripe tomato.

Suddenly, music started to play and the Zoldyck family emerged from behind a curtain. Killua looked so cool in a white suit. "Alright, let's get this over with." he said, taking my hand and leading me to the dance floor. It was a really messed up dance. One minute, I'm dancing with Killua, the next I was with Gon, then I was with some little girl in a red kimono.

"Hi," I said. She didn't answer. She only glared at me. In one swift movement, I was spun around. I landed in Kurapika's arms.

"Hi…" I said. Everything was spinning. Kurapika made me stand up straight and we started to dance.

"Feeling better?" he asked. I nodded.

A hand pulled me through the other side of the grand curtain. It was Killua's mom, the bitch.

"Hello again, slave." she said.

"Hi," I said, glaring.

"You know, that's my dress."

"Really? Seems like it's already too small for you. You are pretty chubby, you know."

"Watch your mouth."

"And by the way, I'm not a slave. Not anymore." And at that, I walked back to the dance floor. Another hand grabbed me and spun me around. Leorio.

"Finally, I've been looking for you." he said.

I blushed. We danced around the room even after everyone was already eating. After a while, Leorio's stomach grumbled.

"It's time to eat." I said, pulling him toward the feast laid out before us.

* * *

"Do you want to face off against a real monster, Gon?" Killua's father asked. This was the first thing I heard when I walked through the curtain with Leorio. "Punch me."

"Why must my feelings be tested?" he asked. Gon stepped forward and punched his stomach.

"Not bad." Mr. Zoldyck walked away, patting Killua's shoulder before he disappeared.

"Come on, Gon. I'll show you around." he said. And the two ran off.

"You have a hot spring here, right?" Leorio asked. Mrs. Zoldyck nodded. "Hah! Let's go, Valenia, Kurapika!"

"Okay, have fun. Bye." I said, walking away.

Leorio snapped. "Drat! Thought she'd say 'yes'!"

"You wish." Kurapika whispered to him.

* * *

I walked into the kitchen, in search of a glass of water. Twenty, giant refrigerators. Not a single bottle of water in any of them.

"Hello," said a voice from behind me. I turned around and saw that one of the chefs was handing me a glass of water. I took it and drank everything.

"Thank you." I said, looking up. I froze. "You…"

"Long time, no see." said Hisoka. He looked silly in a chef's outfit.

"I'm going to go… erm, find a… guitar…" I said.

"There's one behind the door over there." he directed me.

"Thanks." I smiled and ran off.

* * *

When I exited to the main dining room (where I danced with almost everyone), I saw Hisoka, Mr. Zoldyck, and Killua's grandfather. They were fighting.

"What the hell?!" I screamed, holding the guitar above my head.

"The garden is right outside. You'll find your friends there." Hisoka told me. I nodded and smiled uncertainly.

* * *

"This is one crazy house." I muttered to myself. I climbed to the top of the tree with the guitar dangling on my back. When I reached the top, I began to play. At first, I was playing Canon. But, after a while, it was just random strumming and random chords of pure anger and rage.

"They're gone. He killed them… I can't bring them back… They're gone." I started to cry. Surprisingly, the rage song still had rhythm.

"Valenia!" I heard my name from two directions. On one side, it was Killua and Gon, sitting atop a tree. On the other, were Leorio and Kurapika. Leorio was in the hot spring.

"Aw, shoot! I can't un-see it!" I screamed, covering my eyes, blushing.

"Put some clothes on, Leorio!" I heard Kurapika scream.

"Valenia saw them!" Killua burst out laughing. Gon seemed totally clueless.

Soon enough, I was laughing too. "Well, you made me laugh, I'll give you that. You made me laugh through the most revealing way possible."

Suddenly, Kurapika and Leorio were pulled away by an invisible force.

"What the-?" I jumped down the tree to see that Gon and Killua were being pulled in the same direction. "Well, I know who's doing this…" An unseen string caught my hands and pulled me toward the dining room again.

"Yep, I knew it. Hi, Hisoka." I greeted him.

"Play a little tune for us, Valenia." he told me. My hands began to move on their own. I played a fast-paced piece. As I did, everyone, Gon, Kurapika, Leorio, Killua, his brother, and his sister, danced along.

Grandpa walked into the room. "What is this?"

"Everyone is a puppet! I am the puppeteer!" Hisoka replied.

"How wonderful!"

"Wonderful?!"

All of us 'puppets' bowed and the force finally disappeared.

"No time for this. Everyone, come with me! I have some news!" Kurapika said, running out to the garden.

* * *

"What is it?" Gon asked.

"Hisoka told me that Illumi put Killua in some sort of spell."

"Care to elaborate?" I asked, playing Canon on the guitar again.

"He said something about a switch. If this switch goes off, Killua will become a demonic killer."

"When will the switch go off?"

Kurapika frowned. "I don't know."

"Kurapika, when was the spell cast on Killua?" I asked.

"Zebro," Killua spoke up, "Illumi posed as Zebro and cast that spell on me."

Gon sat down on the grass. "How do you know?"

"I felt as if something entered my mind after Zebro whispered to me that I was a passionless puppet of the darkness."

"So, that's the switch?" Leorio asked. Killua nodded. "How do we get it out of your head?"

"I don't know!"

"I once heard a story…" Kurapika began.

"Huh, why bring this up so suddenly?"

"It's about a happy couple. One day, the girl receives a phone call. After which, she kills the boy. Once the boy was dead, the girl had no idea why she did such a deed."

Gon snapped. "The phone call triggered the switch!"

"Nothing will change till the switch goes off. What'll I do?!" Killua screamed. We stood there, thinking. What was the easiest possible way to avoid the switch?

"Ah! Don't say anything! Don't do anything! Just keep still and do nothing!" Leorio suggested.

"That might trigger the switch!" I warned him.

"Well, what if the switch has nothing to do with us? Like, what if it's triggered by rain?" Kurapika said. We heard a loud crack from overhead and water fell from the sky.

"What perfect timing…" I noted.

Killua stood there for a while, thinking. "Nope, I'm fine."

We all breathed a sigh of relief.

"I shouldn't be with you guys. It's too risky. You all must leave. Tomorrow."

"No way!" Gon said.

"I second that." I added.

"You can't make us leave without you." Leorio snarled.

"We can't let you stay here." Kurapika declared.

"You guys don't understand!"

I swung the guitar over my shoulder. "Uh, yeah, I think we do."

"What if I become a blood-thirsty killer? What'll you do then? You're going to have to kill me."

"Nobody's killing anyone!"

"But-"

"Nobody!"

Out of nowhere, Killua began to laugh. "Why are we even fighting?" He turned around and Leorio knocked him out.

"Sorry, about this." he said.

"What now?" I asked.

"We need to see him." Gon began, "Illumi."

* * *

**Valenia: I. Can't. Un-see. It... *groans***

**Leorio: Don't pretend like you didn't love it.**

**Valenia: Ohh, you did NOT just say that. *takes boomerang* Run, boy, run.**

**Leorio: Uh-oh... *runs away***

**Rafie: Don't kill him! I still need him for the next chapters! **


	26. Two Killers

**Rafie: This is the last part of the Zoldyck Arc/Musical.**

* * *

"Let's go find him, then!" Leorio said.

"Hold on," Kurapika pointed at a branch of a tall tree. Sitting on it was Illumi.

"Ah, I was found out." He jumped down and landed gracefully on his feet. "This is your fault, you know."

"No, you're the one who's driving Killua mad." Gon retorted.

"Don't blame me. I just want the real Killua back – the blood-thirsty Killua."

"What'll set the switch off? Tell us!" Leorio commanded.

"Simple, his hatred for me sets it off. Whenever Killua wants to kill me, that's when he'll become a killer. Killua's never opposed me, you see. The rule is that you should never fight someone you cannot beat, right? Well, I'm trying to get Killua to get over that. I'm sure he'll change."

"That isn't what family does."

"He needs the strength of his relatives to survive." Illumi pressed, "He is a Zoldyck, after all."

"Do you really think that's what strength is?" Kurapika asked.

"That's absurd!" I added.

"Kindness is what makes people stronger." Gon said.

"We're two totally different people. I don't expect you to understand."

"Undo the switch."

Illumi laughed. His laugh was twisted and cold. "The switch will be undone when Killua kills one of his friends. Who will sacrifice himself to save Killua, I wonder?"

I stepped forward. "I will."

"No!"

"It's better I die now, than I live to put you guys in danger." I said, "I lied to you guys. I'm sorry. Yes, my master is dead. But, I didn't kill him. I was framed. And in just a matter of time, every hitman from Altaria will be trying to kill me. If they find out that I'm with you guys, they'll try to kill you too."

Killua stood up. "No, Valenia." He turned to Illumi, "Before that happens, I will definitely kill you."

"No, Killua!" I screamed.

Killua lunged at Illumi, but he stopped short. Thunder clapped overhead. The switch was triggered. He turned around. I was the nearest to him. Killua slashed at me with his razor-sharp nails. I tried to evade them as fast as I could, yet I could not save myself from all of his attacks.

"Shit," I muttered. Killua had already wounded me twice. Suddenly, an explosion went off. Killua's fat brother appeared.

"Like my new invention? I call it the ultra small bomb!" He smiled at Illumi. "We can't let you have all the fun."

The girl in the kimono appeared beside the fat one. "But, if you act on your own, father will be mad."

"No use changing that. Besides, Killua is the star of the show."

"I can't move!"

"Neither can I!"

Killua's fat brother laughed. "I put some nerve gas in the bomb. It should stop all of you from moving. Luckily, my siblings and I are already used to it. Who does Killua want to kill?"

The girl pointed a Gon. "Hah! I knew it." Illumi mused, "Killua, the stage is set. Now, kill him!"

All four of us lay on the ground, unable to get up. We were helpless.

"Killua! You can't kill him!"

"Stop it!"

Slowly, dramatically, even, Killua made his way to Gon. He raised his hand, preparing to attack and he thrust his sharp nails through his friend.

"No!"

Only it wasn't Gon he killed. It was Canary. The apprentice butler clutched her chest and fell back, panting. She had come just in time to save Gon. Killua fell to his knees. He took Canary in his arms. And he cried.

"Huh? Why did the spell undo?" Illumi asked.

"How stupid can you be?!" I screamed, "Canary was Killua's friend!"

"How come you can't understand that?!"

The girl in the red kimono walked away, so did the fat boy. "How boring," he said, yawning.

You feel friendship for even people like this?" Illumi looked disappointed. "Wow, you're so corrupted."

"Unforgivable…" Gon muttered under his breath, "I'll never forgive you for this."

"I feel the same way." Leorio said.

"Me too," I added.

"I'll use all the power I have to fight you." Kurapika said.

"You can't beat me in that condition."

Gon forced himself to stand up. "It doesn't matter."

Leorio and I stood up. "With hatred this intense, I don't think I'll be able to hold it back."

A flurry of attacks went out. Illumi was very skilled. He was able to block each and every attack we gave him. Except Gon's. Gon was able to grab hold of his arm and flip him over. A flash of lightning followed by a loud clap of thunder…

"STOP IT!" Killua screamed. We all froze and stared at him. "I tried to kill everyone. I killed Canary…"

Silence.

"No matter what I do, I'll always be a Zoldcyk!" More flashes of lightning came and the thunder that came was even louder than before. Rain was pouring down hard, we were all soaked. "I'LL ALWAYS BE A KILLER!"

"How the hell do you think I feel?!" I screamed, leveling my voice with his. "I was trained to kill. I never had any friends. I never even knew who my real parents were. I lived through hell for sixteen whole years. Killua, stop talking bullshit and listen to me! It's not your past that defines you. It's not your name, nor your stupid family, or any of that. It's your actions that define you."

"But, I killed Canary!"

"It wasn't your fault!" Gon said, "Killua… continue on your own path and show your family that you aren't the killer they think you are."

"You're not a passionless puppet of the darkness or whatever." Leorio said.

"You're human, like us." Kurapika added.

I kneeled beside Killua and tried to find Canary's pulse.

"Oi, Gon," Hisoka was sitting on a branch. Apparently, he saw the whole thing. "I'll show you something cool." Hisoka flicked his hand. At the same time, I was able to locate Canary's pulse.

"She's alive!"

Illumi let out an exasperated sigh. "I give up. This is as far as it goes, mother." Killua's mother walked towards us, umbrella in hand.

"Killua, stay with us. You'll be happier here. You may not understand now, but soon, you will."

"Killua's happiness is what Killua feels for himself." Kurapika said.

"I am Killua's mother."

"And that gives you the right to decide everything for him? Hmph, I think not." I retorted.

"I love Killua. And a parent's job is to not let her child go astray. It's my mistake for letting him go."

"But turning your child into a mindless killer..?" Leorio asked.

Killua stood up, letting Canary lie on the ground. "Mother, I want to go with them." he said simply. Killua's mother sighed. "You can't stop me."

"But, Killu-"

"I mean it mom." the assassin said.

Killua's mother sighed. She dropped her umbrella, took Killua's hands and they danced under the rain, ignoring all the thunder and lighting.

"Well, I guess she isn't THAT much of a bitch…" I murmured.

"I love you, Killua." She let go of Killua's hands and walked away. I helped Canary sit up. But she left soon after, insisting that she was fine.

"Thank you, Canary." Killua called out.

Canary smiled and bowed low, "Take care, Killua."

Illumi left, and so did Hisoka. We were the only ones left in the garden.

"Killua," said a voice. It was his father. "Remember what I told you."

Killua nodded. "I won't betray these guys. Definitely not."

Gon walked toward Killua's father. "I'm taking my friend now."

"Alright." he looked at Killua again. "You're never alone. You have friends who you can count on and a family who loves you. Go on and become stronger."

"Okay, father. I will."

* * *

We left the Zoldyck property. Good thing we were all in normal clothes again. I hated that dress!

"Well, the rain has stopped."

"I love the sun!"

"It was all like a bad dream."

Mr. Zebro walked out of the guard station. "Tonight, we're having a send-off party for Killua. Would you-" I covered his mouth with my hand.

"We don't want to hear it." I growled.

"It was just a joke Illumi told me to tell you."

"Bastard…"

Gon started to sniff Mr. Zebro, quite thoroughly, I might add.

"What are you doing?"

Gon stepped back. "Okay, he's the real Mr. Zebro."

"You can tell by just smelling him?" Gon nodded. "What does he smell like?" I asked.

"Kind of like Leorio,"

"Oh, old man stink." Kurapika said.

"Leave me alone! I'm only nineteen!" Leorio snapped, "Hey, Gon, who gave you that?"

Gon raised a small packet. "Killua's fat brother gave to me. He said it was a little snack."

"Do snacks tick?" I asked.

Killua took the packet and held it close to his ear. "It's a bomb!" He passed it to Kurapika.

"Why me?!" He passed it to me.

"Get it away from me!" I passed it to Leorio and he threw it far away.

"Take cover!"

* * *

BOOM!

* * *

"Gon!" we screamed.

"It's not my fault!"

"Nevermind that! Let's get outta this whacky place." I said, "I've got dibs on the gecko-horse."

"I ride with Valenia!" Gon said, hopping behind me on the gecko-horse.

"I've got a skateboard." Killua said.

"What about us?" Leorio and Kurapika asked in unison.

"Have fun running!" I pulled the rope and the animal sped forward. Killua rode his skateboard.

"Wait for us!"

* * *

"I forgot!"

"What is it?" I asked Gon. We were having lunch in some café. I gave the gecko-horse back to the merchant.

"Eh... I still have some unfinished business with Hisoka." Gon fished a number care from his bag. It was number 44. "He told me once that if I could punch him in the face, then he'll take his number card back. And I won't feel like a real hunter until I can keep that promise."

"Why didn't you do it when he was in the Zoldyck Estate?"

"I forgot! Now, I have no idea where to find Hisoka." Gon said sadly

"I do." Kurapika said, lowering his head.

"Oh, is that what he whispered into your ear before forfeiting?" Leorio asked.

"Yeah... he said: 'I have information on the spider.'"

"Spider means Phantom Troupe, right?" I asked.

Kurapika nodded. "Later, he told me that the Phantom Troupe was to have a heist in Yorknew City on September 1st."

"That's almost a year from now."

We finished eating and stood up from our seats.

"I suppose this is goodbye." Kurapika said.

"Ehh? Why?" Gon whined.

"Since, we've got a few months free time, I'll be looking for a patron who'll be willing to hire me as a hunter."

"Yeah, I'll be going too. I still want to be a doctor, ya know!"

"I can't promise any of you guys anything." I said, "Remember? The Altarian government is putting a price on my head. They're gonna come after me pretty soon."

"Define 'pretty soon'."

"The hitmen will be searching islands near Altaria first. It'll take about ten months until they start searching this part of the world." I paused. "I can't stay with you guys."

"First Killua and now you?" Leorio asked.

"We won't let you leave." Gon said.

"You'd better listen to him, Valenia. Don't you remember how stubborn he was when he was trying to convince me to come along?" Killua asked.

"But-"

"No buts!" Gon commanded me, "You need to help me get back at Hisoka! Please? Promise?"

"Not another promise…" I whined, "Gon, I-"

"Please, please, please, Valenia?" Gon kept on going.

"Alright, alright, fine. BUT, if I find at least one hitman tracking me, I'm walking away."

Gon hugged me tightly and I hugged him back. "Thank you, Valenia." It was really commendable how this kid could make me smile no matter what my mood was.

"You're staying with me, girl." Leorio said.

"What?" I asked, blushing like hell.

"I'm going to make sure you don't run out on us."

Killua coughed and muttered something I couldn't understand. I stared at him, tilting my head in confusion. He coughed again and muttered: "Home run,"

I looked away, covering my mouth. My face was a tomato again and so was Leorio's. "Shut up, Killua!" he said.

Kurapika rolled his eyes. Gon looked clueless.

"What? You don't trust me?" I asked when my face was normal again.

"No, I don't. I don't want you to run out on us. Not after you made a promise to Gon."

"Fine," I said, glaring at him.

"Fine,"

* * *

**Killua: *cough*HOME*cough*RUN*cough***

**Valenia: *covers ears* I'm not listening!**

**Rafie: Hey, you knew it was gonna happen sooner or later.**

**Leorio: Yeah, you-... wait... ARE YOU SERIOUS, RAFIE?!**

**Rafie: Yeah. I'm not gonna write about it though... I'm keeping this Rated T. Don't forget to review!**


	27. Just Like an Old Married Couple

**Rafie: These are a few stories about Leorio and Valenia when they were at the old man's house.**

**Leorio: Again with 'old man'!**

**Valenia: *laughs***

* * *

Leorio's house was small. More importantly, it was literally a dump. Empty cartons of take-out everywhere, books scattered on the floor, banana peels, bones, plastic utensils, and everything else.

"I'm starting to think that the only reason you talked me into coming here was so I can be your maid."

"Hehehe, you'll help me tidy up a bit, right..?"

"A bit?" I asked in disbelief.

"Alright, a lot. Will you help me, Valenia?" he asked, "Please?"

I walked into the house and scanned his living room. I don't see any undergarments left from one-night stands... Although I DO see a few magazines. You know, the ones boys fap to. I picked up the nearest one and stared at the impossibly busty girl on the cover. I heard Leorio gulp from behind me. I giggled. "Boys will be boys." I spun around to look at the pervert. "Alright, I'll help you.

It took about five hours to clean his whole house. By the time we were done, I was too tired to even sigh. I collapsed on the couch and lay there, staring at the ceiling. "Got anything to eat?" I asked Leorio, who was sitting on recliner. He looked just as tired as I was.

"I usually order take-out." he replied.

"How can a person live on take-out everyday for breakfast, lunch, and dinner?"

"How can a person live on fruit skins?" he retorted.

"Touché... we'll order take out today. Tomorrow, I'll cook."

Leorio nodded. "Just one more thing..."

"Yeah?" I sat up.

"Where do you sleep?" he asked. His eyes widened in anticipation.

"On the couch," I replied, "Did you really think I was going to sleep in the same bed as you?" I raised an eyebrow.

"Well..." he grinned.

I grimaced. "Pervert,"

"Aren't you forgetting something?" Leorio asked out of nowhere.

"Huh? I don't think so."

"Anything at all?" he pressed.

"No," I shook my head.

"I can't believe you've forgotten!" he screamed. Leorio sighed and sank back into the chair. I looked back and tried to remember what he was talking about. Then it clicked. I stood up and walked toward the pervert. His eyes were closed so he didn't see me coming. I leaned on the arm of the recliner and kissed him. Leorio seemed startled when he felt my lips on his. I drew back and laughed. "Of course I didn't forget."

* * *

The next day, when I came home from the market, a big package was waiting for me. "What's all this stuff?" Leorio asked. Apparently, he had just woken up.

"It's my stuff. I hired a delivery service to send it here. You don't mind, do you?"

"Nah, what's in there?" I opened the box. "Just some clothes and my guitar," I took my guitar and played a few chords. I put it down again and rummaged through my stuff.

Leorio sat down beside me and stuck his hand into the box. He pulled out the first thing he got a hold of. It was an orange sari, the thing Indians wore. "Why do you own these costumes?"

I pulled out a maid's outfit, then a Lolita-style dress, and even more silly costumes. My normal clothes were at the bottom of the pile. "Master had... fetishes..." I blinked a few times, pursing my lips. I turned to Leorio, he was still staring at the sari. "Leorio?"

"This thing seems so familiar."

"By any chance," I began, "Did you go to some Indian-themed night club when you were seventeen?"

Leorio stared at me. "How'd you know that?"

"Funny story..."

* * *

_ I entered the small building. The Master told me that my target would be in there - a man named Alastor. There were girls wearing long, colorful skirts and fitting tops with puffy sleeves. They wore a piece of cloth over their mouthsand another one of the same color went over their hair. A man took my arm and made me face him. "You must be the new waitress." he said. He took an outfit from the bunch and handed it to me. "The dressing rooms are over there. So put this on and then serve those gentlemen outside some beer." I stared at the clothing. It was bright orange. I bet it'd look pretty with my red hair. _

_After nodding at the man, I walked toward the place he pointed at. Sure enough, there were dressing rooms there. I entered the one nearest to me and locked the door behind me. The top was tight against my chest, but the skirt was light. It felt nice when it brushed through my legs. I exited the dressing room. The man was waiting outside. He threw a circular tray at me and I caught it. "Get the beer from the bartender at the far side of the room, then give it to anyone who has an empty botte. Got it?" I nodded and the man shooed me out of the back room. _

_I went to the bartender and asked for a few bottles of beer. After, I walked toward the middle to the room. A dozen or so men were watching a girl dance in the middle of a small stage. She was wearing the same thing I was, except the skirt was shorter. WAY shorter. Master Xaphan told me that Alastor had short, grey hair, green eyes, and a scar that ran through the corner of his face. I scanned the area, my target was sitting on a couch directly in front of the stage. He was trying to sneak a peek of what was under the dancer's skirt. Watch me roll my eyes. _

_"Shit, I don't have my boomerang." I muttered. I saw a glint of silver from one of the men in the room. It was some really tall guy. He shoved a small knife into his pocket. It'll have to do, I thought. When the tall guy sat down, I walked toward him and placed a bottle of beer on his table. "Welcome, sir." _

_He looked at me. He was wearing some silly looking glasses and he had spiky hair. "Aren't you a bit young to be working in a place like this?" he asked. _

_I smiled. "Age does not define maturity." I walked away, hiding the stolen pocket knife under my flowing skirt. I walked toward Alastor and gave him a beer. Master described him as lustful so it won't be hard to pull him away from the crowd. I rested my hand on his shoulder and whispered into his ear, "Meet me in the alleyway." He turned to me and smiled. I smiled back and disappeared behind a small crowd. I dropped the tray on an empty table and ran out to the alley that was right beside the building. _

_A tall, wire fence stood at the far end of alley. It was behind an overflowing dumpster. Beyond it was a road and another dark alleyway. That's where I'll run to. Then it's back to that hotel where Master Xaphan is. Alastor emerged from behind a wall. He placed a finger under my chin and lifted my face. "How old are you?" _

_"Fourteen," I replied. _

_He laughed. "Quite young to be desiring things such as this, don't you think?" He placed his free hand on my back and pulled me towards him. I took the pocket knife from my side and pressed it against the man's neck. _

_"Bye." I slit his throat. He fell down with a thud. _

_"You!" I jerked my head to face the one who screamed at me. It was the man who owned the pocket knife. "You killed that guy! And you stole my pocket knife!"_

_ "Crap," I ran to the wire fence, hoping the man wouldn't catch me. _

_"Hey! Come back!" I hopped onto the dumpster and over the fence. The man behind me was in hot pursuit. I ran across the street and reached the second wire fence. I couldn't use anything as a platform so I began to climb. Before I could reach the top, a hand pulled me down. The man took the pocket knife from my hands. He pinned me to the fence and pointed the blade at my neck. "Who are you? And why did you kill that man?" I glared at him. He growled and pushed the top of the knife into my neck. I gasped. I looked up at him, fear in my eyes._

_"You're... You're just a kid." he said, backing away slightly. I pushed him away and kicked his stomach. He stagerred back and I was able to escape._

* * *

"Hold on..." Leorio began, scratching his head. "You were the girl in the orange sari? The one I met two years ago?" I lowered my head.

"So... did you tell on me that night?" I asked.

"I didn't, if I recall correctly. I left the body there." I asked why. "I don't think the cops would believe me if I told them that fourteen year old girl in a sari killed that man."

Silence...

"You knew this whole time that I was the same guy, didn't you?" Leorio said.

"...Yes..."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because you wouldn't understand until you knew about my past."

Leorio smiled. "Smart girl," He ruffled my hair. "If I'd known you were that girl before I knew you were a slave, I probably would've killed you myself."

"You? Kill me?" I asked mockingly.

"I could if I tried!" Leorio insisted.

I laughed. "'course!"

* * *

"Lookie here!" Leorio called out. I put my guitar down and walked toward the front door, where he was.

"What is it?"

"It's a letter from Gon."

"Ooh, open it! Open it!" I squealed happily.

Leorio tore open the letter and read aloud: "Dear Valenia and Leorio, Me and Killua are in the Heaven's Arena. We've reached the two-hundredth floor already! We met a boy named Zushi, he's an amazing martial artist who practices 'Nen.' His trainer, Mr. Wing, has agreed to teach the both of us about 'Nen.' Wish us luck! -Gon Freeccs."

"Heaven's Arena, huh? I've heard of it, but I've never been there."

"Xaphan made me fight there when I was thirteen because he was short on cash. I reached the hundredth floor in five days, if I recall correctly."

"You were thirteen..?" Leorio asked me in disbelief.

"Slave, remember? Trained to kill, remember?" I mused. Leorio snarled.

"Whatever. But, what the heck is 'Nen?"

"Ooh, one of my trainers taught me about that before. He never finished teaching me about it because Xaphan caught him stealing his money and had him executed... anyway, Nen is basically fiddling with your aura."

"Aura?"

"Watch this." I stood in front of him and concentrated on revealing my aura to him. I saw his eyes widening, meaning I still knew how to control my aura after all these years. Cool. "This is my aura."

"What exactly is aura?"

"I recall sensei saying that it was your life energy. If you cannot control your aura, and too much of it escapes, you could die."

"Creepy,"

"Anyway, there are four ways to play with your life energy. Ten, Zetsu, Ren, and Hatsu.

"Ten is simply to control your aura. To keep your life energy inside you. Zetsu is to hide your aura, it's what I've been doing ever since the start of the Hunter Exam. Ren is to strengthen your aura, you can do that to psych your opponent out. And, finally, Hatsu is to release your aura, to use it as an attack.

"Did you know that, Illumi and Hisoka actually knew how to use their auras? I could sense their auras since the start of the Hunter Exam, actually."

"I think Illumi used Ren on Killua. Remember how I told you that he seemed like he was hypnotizing Killua during their battle on the fifth phase of the exam?" Leorio suggested.

"It's possible. Illumi had a creepy aura. But Hisoka's was even scarier." I shuddered. "Both of them reeked of murder."

"Question, how did you release your aura? I mean, since I don't have that creepy shroud around me, I suppose your sensei must have done something to release your life energy. Or is it something you're born with?"

"Nah, everyone has it. Your aura escapes from invisible holes in your body called micropyles. There are two ways to open these micropyles. The long and easy way, and the the short and painful way." I said, holding two fingers up.

"Let me guess, you had to go through the short and painful way." Leorio said, rolling his eyes.

"How'd you know?" I asked him.

"Psychic powers,"

I laughed. "Lastly, there's the water divination test. I can't exactly explain it. But, sensei told me that what happens to the water will determine whether you're an enhancer, an emitter, a conjurer, a transmuter, or a specialist. When I took that test, the volume of the water changed. And, apparently, that meant I was an enhancer.

"An enhancer has the power to use his own aura to strengthen his natural abilities. Sensei says I can actually enhance my abilities without even realizing." I shrugged.

"That explains how you could lift more than thirty kilograms."

"Huh, no wonder."

"Say, would you teach me this Nen stuff, Valenia?" Leorio asked.

"Sure,"

* * *

I opened the laptop I found at the bottom of the package. It was the one I stole from Nicole. I accessed the Altarian database and hacked into their secret files. I clicked 'Criminals', then searched my name. My name was the color red, meaning I was one of the most wanted in Altaria. I clicked on my name. There was a picture of the whole world. The first few continents on the right side were crossed out. Two blinking lights were positioned on two other regions. That meant that the hitmen were searching that part of the world.

Thankfully, they haven't reached Padokea yet. I read through the details of the page. There were 100 hitmen searching for me. It said that I was to be killed, not captured. And only one person can claim the reward of 6 billion jenny. I clicked on the word 'hitmen' and I was transported to a page with a list of hitmen who were currently searching for me. One name caught my eye: Izakiel Guerrero.

* * *

**Rafie: If you guys have any ideas for this story, you're more than welcome to tell me via PM or review! Just gimme a scenario and if I like it, I'll add it to this chapter.**

**Valenia: Don't make me do anything stupid!**

**Rafie: Make her do something stupid!**

**Valenia: Ugh...**


	28. The Calm Before the Storm

**Rafie: This is the beginning of the Yorknew City Arc. Wahoo!**

* * *

"Where are they?" Leorio asked.

"Shush, I'm trying to track them."

"With?"

"With Zetsu," I replied, "When a person uses Zetsu, it's much easier to sense a person's aura."

The two of us kept walking for a while. I was focusing hard while Leorio was looking at random, overpriced items.

"Found 'em." I said, "Over there. They're buying phones." I pointed at a small store in a corner.

* * *

The merchant was telling Gon and Killua how awesome some new model with a GPS was.

"Don't bother. The GPS doesn't even work in many countries. Besides, it isn't even waterproof." Leorio walked up to the stand and took a small beetle-shaped phone. "This is the Beetle 07. Sure, it's a bit heavy and expensive, but it's got a translator that can be used for all two-hundred languages worldwide."

"Really? That's so cool! Gon, buy one and I'll get one too!" Killua said.

"Two, please."

"Three," I said, reaching into my backpack.

"That'll be two-hundred thousand each."

"WHAT?!" the three asked in unison.

* * *

"Thanks for the phone, you guys."

"I never knew you were good at haggling, Leorio." I said.

"I never knew you had tons of money in that backpack of yours."

"Touché. Anyway, don't you think that 110,580 is a bit too much for a phone?"

"It's a new model. So, it's not surprising."

"But, talk about overkill. Plus, I've never seen a cell phone purchased be greeted by applause before…" Killua commented.

"Come on…" I pleaded, "Let's eat. I'm starving."

"Fine, fine," We went to a small restaurant and ordered some food.

* * *

"Hey, Leorio, have you learned Nen?" Gon asked.

"Of course I have!" he said confidently, "It's the ability to build up a shroud of one's own life force."

I covered my face with my hands. "Leorio, that's only one of the four major principles of Nen."

"Well, it's your fault for not teaching me the other three!"

"YOU haven't mastered Ten, yet." I retorted.

"Yes I have!" he insisted.

"A bit of your aura is escaping." I said, pointing at the space above his head.

"She's right."

"What?! Really?!"

* * *

"Greed Island's a legendary game. We're trying to get one from the auction." Killua explained to us in our hotel room.

"But, why?"

"I think it'll help me find my father, somehow." Gon said.

"How?"

"We're not sure. But it's our only lead."

"So, how much is this Greed Island game?" I asked.

"The lowest bid would be 8.9 billion jenny."

"Whoa! How much money do you guys have?" Leorio asked.

"We made some bad choices in investment so we're down to five million."

"I've only got four-hundred, fifty-nine million with me." I said.

"That'll cover us for the entrance fee… but we still need some spending money."

"It's surprising that Greed Island is only a low-ranking game in the Hunter site's treasure list."

"Huh, why?"

"You only need money to get a copy."

Leorio laughed. "That's just proof that money makes the world go 'round!"

"If that's so, then high-ranking items cannot be bought. If you can't get something as simple as a low-ranked item, you can't consider yourself a pro Hunter, can you?"

Leorio snarled. "Agh! You don't need to tell me that! We'll definitely get that game! But first, we're going to need some money."

* * *

"Lookie, click on 'Swap'." I said, pointing at the word on the screen.

Gon clicked it and a voice from the computer began to speak. "Swap is an auction technique that is the slang for the exchange of goods. Also see 'Bind'."

Gon clicked 'Bind' and the voice spoke again. "A Bind is when a seller names a condition besides money as their price. The person who comes closest to the condition will have the winning bid."

Leorio stood up and smiled. "Hehehe, I've got an idea."

* * *

"Step right up! Win this diamond that's worth three million!" I said, stretching out my arms. "All you have to do is to beat this guy," I pointed at Gon. "in arm wrestling! There'll be a ten-thousand jenny entrance fee. Now, let's get this show on the road!"

A giant crowd formed around us, wads of cash everywhere. I walked up to Leorio, feeling uncomfortable in the glittery dress he made me wear. "This had better work." I whispered.

"'Course it'll work."

"Why did you have to make me wear this thing?" I asked, pointing at the dress I wore.

"Because guys, like me, are drawn to girls that are dressed like you." Leorio kissed me on the cheek, then took his place in front of Gon and a small table. He began to collect some cash. For a few hours, we watched Gon fake-struggle with dozens of 'tough guys' who thought they had a shot at winning. But in truth, Gon was too strong for all of them. After a while, a girl came up to the stage. She handed Leorio ten thousand jenny and went to sit in front of Gon, not saying a single word.

"Well, you're no fun… ready, GO!"

I could sense the girl's aura, it was dark and cold. I shuddered. Gon seemed to be having a difficult time trying to beat her.

"Come on, Gon…" I whispered. Gon was able to win, but it seemed like he was genuinely tired after the match. I took a bottle of water from my bag and gave it to him.

"Are you okay?" I asked. He nodded and drained the whole bottle. I patted him on his head. "You're doing great, Gon." I scanned the crowd and I was pretty sure I saw a pair of blue, angry eyes staring at me…

* * *

**Rafie: I'm pretty sure everyone knows who those pair of blue eyes belong to. Fufufu...**

**Valenia: Oh, dear... they're coming...**


	29. Gelato

**Rafie: Damn. Now I want some gelato. Sorry for the late update, folks. **

**Valenia: Same here...**

* * *

The time was 1 am. I was up checking the computer while the others were asleep. Fortunately, the boys were in the other room so they wouldn't hear me tapping the keyboard. I hacked into the Altarian database and checked on my name. Most of the hitmen were already in Padokea. Twenty or so were in Yorknew already. I haven't seen any hitmen throughout my time here. I was probably just imagining the one from yesterday... Who am I kidding? I'm only being selfish. I don't want to leave Gon. I don't want to leave Killua. And I don't want to leave Leorio.

Sooner or later, I'll have to leave. It's for the other's safety. When that time comes, I'm not sure of what will come next.

I spent the rest of the morning studying a map of Yorknew City. "There's this barren wasteland here... and an abandoned amusement park over here. I can probably hide there..." I muttered to myself.

"Morning, Val."

I jumped and saw Killua standing behind me. "Hi," I greeted him.

"What are you doing this early in the morning?" he asked me, yawning.

I folded the map four times. "I'm memorizing the map of this place. Because, honestly, Leorio's hopeless with direction."

"I heard that!" a voice screamed from the other room.

"Don't deny it!" I retorted.

* * *

"8 billion jenny," Leorio said, holding up a wad of cash. "That's how much we have, minus Valenia's money."

"Why'd you leave out my money?"

"Because that's what we use for food and for our hotel room." he replied, "Anyway, we still need 1 billion bucks if we want to get that Greed Island Game you want."

"How else do we get that much money? I doubt anyone would be willing to try to arm wrestle tomorrow since most of them have already seen what Gon can do."

"Just trust me."

* * *

We were back at our old spot. Gon was seated behind a small table, his arm held out, waiting for his next challenger. And I was, yet again, told to wear something cute and eye-catching. It was that orange sari. Leorio seemed to have taken a liking to it. Duh.

"You look nice in that." he said, grinning.

I grunted, my cheeks turning red. "Shut up..."

Killua squeezed in between us, holding the diamond behind his back. "I've been meaning to ask," he turned to Leorio. "Have you reached a homerun yet?"

"Yep." he said, giving Killua a thumbs-up.

"You said you wouldn't tell anyone!" I blurted out.

"Oho! So it's true!" Killua said bursting into laughter soon after the words left his mouth.

"Kill me now..." I whispered.

"Oh, so she isn't available." said a man from the crowd that was forming around us. "Too bad, I would've paid a million jenny to have her for a night." The people began laughing mockingly.

I gritted my teeth and began to say something spiteful, but Leorio covered my mouth and said, "Sorry, buddy. This girl, here, is priceless. On top of that, she's my girl."

My cheeks turned red and I struggled to keep my balance. I leaned on Leorio to support my weight. "Whoa, you okay?" he asked, catching me before I completely lost it.

I looked up at him, blushing. "You mean that?"

He smiled. "Of course!"

"So, are you two gonna kiss or are we gonna start this thing?" Killua asked from behind us.

I stood up straight and took a deep breath. Leorio laughed quietly and took his place in front of the table. "Step right up! Win this diamond that's worth three million!.." As I recited the rules, I could hear people talking about Gon.

"He beat hundreds of people yesterday..."

"No one can beat that kid..."

"I hear he broke the arms of twenty opponents..."

When I finished my little speech, two men in suits pushed through the mass of people. "Come to challenge the boy?" Leorio asked.

"No." replied the smaller man, "I'm well aware that my man stands no chance against your boy. I've come to discuss a little offer with you."

"And that is?"

"I know a place where you can rake in the big bucks. Compared to what you can win there, this is just pocket money. What do you say?"  
Leorio grinned.

I smiled and held my hand out at Gon. He took it and slipped out from behind the small table. "Time to go, boys."

* * *

The two men led us to a square-shaped building. Inside was a bunch of tough guys - real tough guys - arm wrestling like their life depended on it. I mean, you could see their veins marking on the skin on their face.

As the small man and Leorio were negotiating the distribution of money, the lights went out. The people in the room gasped in surprise. When the lights turned back on, a man wearing way too revealing clothes with piercings all over his face was on the small ring, microphone in hand.

"The arm wrestling matches are cancelled." he declared, "Instead, we'll be playing hide and seek."

"What the hell?" I muttered. A girl gave me a paper. On it were the faces of some random people.

"These people are to be killed. The reward for each kill is 2 billion jenny. All of you here are welcome to sign up." The man said.  
"We're definitely signing up." Leorio took my hand and pulled me toward the nearest sign-up sheet. After writing our names, we left the building along with a few others. I looked at the paper again. One of the people in the picture was that girl who Gon went up against during yesterday's arm wrestling session.

"Apparently, these people are after the merchandise that's to be sold during the big auction." Killua told us, "If what I heard is true."

"Who'd be crazy enough to rob the biggest auction in the world?"

Silence...

We all exchanged worried looks. "Spiders," we said in unison.

"Kurapika's probably tracking them. I wonder how he's doing..."

"I'm pretty sure he's fine. He can take care of himself." I said, shrugging.

Gon took out his phone and dialled Kurapika's number. "But we might as well check on him."

We waited for a few seconds. "No answer, huh?" I asked. Gon shook his head. "Well, like I said, he's probably okay. Now, where do we start looking for these people?" I raised the flyer-slash-wanted poster.

Gon's stomach grumbled. I sighed. "Well, you guys go on back to the hotel, for now. I'll buy us some gelato."

"Biscotini," Killua said.

"Hazelnut," Leorio said after.

"How about you, Gon?"

"Triple chocolate," he answered.

"No problem." I walked toward the store, watching the other three disappear into the crowd.

"Biscotini, hazelnut, triple choco, and strawberry please," I said to the cashier. I paid him and took the gelato.

As I was on my way back to the hotel, two strong arms grabbed me from behind. I was pulled toward a dark alley and a gun was pointed at my neck. "That prize money is mine." he said.

I dropped the cups of ice cream. As he was about to pull the trigger, I stepped on his foot, hard. The man squeaked. Yes, squeaked. I slipped out of his grasp and kicked him. The man staggered backwards and raised the pistol again, preparing to shoot. A loud 'bang' filled the air and the bullet was speeding towards me. After a second, the projectile seemed to ricochet off the air and hit the wall beside me. I smiled at the man, who was now trembling in fear. "Nen," I said, shrugging.

I grabbed his arm, careful not to leave any prints on the gun, and made him point the gun at himself. I pulled his finger, causing him to pull the trigger and another loud 'bang' was made. The man fell down and landed on the floor with a thud. "I paid good money for those ice creams."  
I stared at the empty vessel that stood before me, thinking hard. A glint of silver caught my eye. I bent down to examine it. It was a small trinket. On it was the insignia of Altaria. My anger turned into fear. I dropped the silver trinket. "...hitman."

* * *

**Rafie: Don't forget to review!**


	30. The Second Time Around

**Rafie: Warning: Skyrim References (but just a few)**

* * *

"Thanks for the ice cream, Valenia." Gon said, shoving another spoonful of gelato in his mouth.

"It's gelato." Killua corrected him, "Ge-la-to,"

Leorio looked up from his cup. "But, it's categorized under ice cream. So, it can still be called that, right?"

"Ice cream and gelato are two totally different things!" Killua pressed, "Whoever thought of making cookie dough a frozen treat?"

Gon turned to me. "What do you think, Valenia?" I wasn't really listening. I was staring at my half-melted gelato. Some of it was already sliding down the cup and dripping onto my knees. Gon tilted his head. "What're you thinking about?"

I snapped back to reality. Oh, how badly I wanted to tell them.

_They're after me._

_Please help me._

_I need you guys._

But, of course, I couldn't tell them that. I swore that I wouldn't get them involved. I SWORE. It's my past that's coming back to haunt me. Unless I can get rid of that, I can never be free. And as long as I'm still bound to my past, I can't stay with my friends or they might end up getting killed. I've realized that now.

"I'm, uhh, just thinking about… Kurapika." I said.

Leorio frowned. "Huh? Why?!"

"Is that jealousy, Leorio?" Killua asked, snickering.

I sighed. Act normal, Valenia, I thought to myself. "Oh, so now that you're my boyfriend, I'm not allowed to worry about other boys?" I raised an eyebrow.

"Well, I wouldn't exactly be happy if you were fantasizing about someone else." Leorio retorted.

"When did I say I was fantasizing?!" I threw the strawberry gelato at his face, blushing.

He laughed, licking gelato off his face and fingers. "Chill, girl. I'm just kidding."

I sank back into my chair, still blushing, and nibbled the end of my plastic spoon. Honestly, I couldn't help but smile.

"Now, that's what I've been waiting to see." Leorio said.

* * *

Damn it. I wish I'd brought my guitar with me here. Now, I've got nothing to do. Either that or I was too sad, depressed, or worried to do anything at all. Someone hugged me from behind.

"Valenia!" It was Gon's voice.

"Hello, Gon." I said, giggling.

"What's with you today?" he asked, "You usually play Skyrim with us every night."

"It's nothing." I replied, "I just need some time to think. That's all."

"Gon, look! I found a dragon near Whiterun!" Killua called out from the other room.

Gon hugged me tighter. "Feel better, Valenia. I'm not used to seeing you sad."

I laughed. "Alright, alright,"

* * *

After Gon had left, I stood up and walked out, onto the balcony. I sat there, staring idly at the moon. It was peaceful out here. If you ignore the commotion at the auction below and focus on the sight above, you could call it that.

Maybe I should've stayed in Altaria. Maybe I never should have tried to escape when my suffering was evidently inevitable.

My life in this world, like everyone else's, branches out into many different futures, but no matter which one I end up in, I and all the people I love will suffer. The only way I can avoid hurting those dear to me is to resort to complete isolation. That's why I need to leave tonight.

"Hey, Valenia." Leorio said, breaking my train of pessimistic thoughts. He pushed aside the curtains and sat beside me.

"Hi," I whispered, faking a smile.

"It took a while for me to get the gelato out of my hair." Leorio said.

I giggled. "Sorry about that."

He looked at me. "So, why are you so down?"

"Nothing,"

He bonked me on the head. "I've known you for a year. I can tell when you're faking your happiness."

Shit, I thought. "Um…"

"Well? Spit it out. If you need my help, you could just ask."

If only it were that simple… "Sometimes," I began, "I think this is all just a dream. And… I'm afraid because the next time I open my eyes, everything might be… 'normal' again."

"If this were a dream, then I wish it'd never end."

"A dream will always end. It's not permanent, just like happiness."

"That's why you need to cherish every second of it." Leorio stated matter-of-factly, "Cheer up, Valenia. The dark days are all behind us. It's time to be happy!"

I laughed quietly. "The world needs more people like you, Leorio. You'll become a doctor when you get the chance, right?"

He gave me a thumbs-up. "Definitely," We both stared at the moon for a while, and then Leorio spoke up again, "Aaannndd… now, we kiss."

I smiled. "Fine,"

* * *

It was 12 in the morning. Killua and Gon finally stopped playing Skyrim (Killua killed five dragons, beating my record of only four). I accessed Altaria's secret files and clicked on my name, then 'hitmen'. 94 hitmen were searching for me. I guess some of them got in a fracas with each other. Not surprising since the details clearly state that only one person can claim the reward. Izakiel was still alive. Surprise, surprise… He's one of the few dogs who know Nen.

"What are you doing?" I jumped, Killua was right behind me, staring at the screen.

I sighed. "I'm checking the Altarian database."

"You're checking your criminal record, aren't you?" Killua guessed. I nodded. "How many hitmen are after you?"

I leaned back on the support of the chair. "The number's gone down. Out of 100, only 94 are left.

Killua stared at the computer screen. He sighed sadly. "You're planning to leave us again. Am I right?" I lowered my head. "What do you intend to do after leaving?" he asked.

"All I have to do is get these guys in the same place at the same time. That way, they'll start going against each other. The last thing I need to do is kill the last man standing." I explained.

Killua snarled. "What if Altaria sends out another batch of hitmen?"

"Heh, I'm sure they'll get tired of me sooner or later…"

"So there's a possibility that you won't come back?!" Killua raised his voice. I looked up at him and raised a finger to my lips.

"You can't leave! If you do, the old man might kill himself!"

"He won't." I said, "He needs to become a doctor so that he can help people." I stood up and took my backpack. I took out all the remaining money in it and placed it on the table, taking only 10K for myself.

"You're his friend, Valenia." Killua paused. He looked like he was about to cry. "You're MY friend. We're willing to help you. You only need to ask. That's what friends do for each other!" I secured my boomerang case on my arm and turned back to look at Killua. A single teardrop fell from his eye.

I fell to my knees and hugged him tightly. I drew back after a while and looked at him. I never noticed it, but Killua had beautiful, blue eyes. Unlike Izakiel's, Killua's eyes were filled with kindness and compassion. "Don't tell them about this, Killua, okay?" I was beginning to cry, myself. "It'll only hurt more if you told them."

I stood up and made my way to the window. I opened it. Looking back at Killua one more time, I said, "I'm just a girl who's way in over her head." And at that, I jumped.

* * *

**Rafie: Good luck, Val!**

**Valenia: I'd rather be playing Skyrim..**

**Don't forget to review!**


	31. The Princess of Death

**CONFESSIONS OF A FANFICTION AUTHOR**

**Rafie: What? Now? Well, uh... my original plan was to kill Valenia earlier in the York New City Arc, but I decided against it. What can I say? I love writing about her!**

**Valenia: I'm not sure whether I should be mad or happy... Thank you, I guess.**

* * *

There is no such thing as 'happily ever after', at least, not for me. I have such a strange past, don't you think? Who ever heard of the princess who abandoned her knight in shining armor and went on a suicidal mission by herself? If someone made a children's book of that, it'd probably be banned in one, or two days.

Question: What's the easiest possible way to get attention from hitmen? Easy – Hack into the Altarian database and mess with their files. The government will realize that something's wrong and try to trace whoever is messing with their secret documents. Techy-techy stuff and boom! They find me and put a flag above my head. The hitmen will be alerted and Armageddon shall finally begin.

All I have to do is to lure them to the rendezvous point and, hopefully, they'll all go against each other.

I took my cellphone and accessed the Altarian database.

"Let's see… where's Xaphan's information page?" I scrolled through the names of the different citizens of Fagville and stopped at Xaphan Diablo. I clicked his name and was transported to his bio.

_Xaphan was a travelling business man. He was one of the richest and most popular men in Altaria._

That's what the first paragraph said. I grinned and started editing.

_Xaphan was a faggot who mistreated his slaves, like most snot-nosed citizens of Altaria. He was one of the cruellest, most idiotic, and self-centred perverts ever known. But, then again, all of the people who live in big mansions in the land of the rich and snotty are like that. _

I pressed send and the page was successfully edited. I placed my phone in my pocket and smiled a macabre smile. "To die or not to die. What shalt be thy fate, fair princess? Without thy prince to save thee, how dost thou expect to cope in this cruel, unforgiving world?" I asked myself, making dramatic hand gestures. I noticed a small crowd forming around me and continued, "How wilt thee stop an army of a hundred, filthy scoundrels who desire naught but thy heart – thy heart that only beseecheth the warmth of thine true love?" The crowd around me began to clap and they threw a few bills my way. I bowed and took the bills, dashing away right after.

* * *

"Damn, people here are rich." I stared at the amount of cash in my hands. I earned one-thousand jenny just because of talking in old English. I should remember that. Gon and the others could use it when they… right… I shook my head. "You're not gonna see them again, Val." I was going through a dark alleyway. I checked the Altarian database again. Xaphan's page was back to normal and, like I planned, they started tracking my cellphone.

VALENIA VALDERA HAS BEEN FOUND. ELIMINATE HER AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

That was what written on my page. On the map, amongst the beeping red lights was a small blue light – me. All the red lights were slowly closing in. It's time to move.

"Let's see… barren wasteland or abandoned theme park?" I asked, walking through a crowded street. Honestly, I couldn't even hear my own voice in all the noise. "Wasteland," I replied to myself.

* * *

The place was like some sort of giant house with no ceiling. There were walls of earth everywhere, separating perimeters of the rocky ground below. I climbed to the top on one wall and stared down at the 'rooms' below me. Below, in one of the 'rooms', was some dude shoveling sand into a hole. I slid down the wall and ran towards the figure. "Kurapika!" I screamed.

He turned his head to stare at me in surprise. "Valenia?!" he said in disbelief, "Why are you here?"

"I could ask you the same thing."

"Well, I asked first."

"Fine," I crossed my arms. "This is the second time, actually... the second time I've abandoned you guys." I admitted.

"Care to elaborate, Valenia?" Kurapika pressed.

"You need to agree to never tell anyone first."

Kurapika nodded.

"94 hitmen are after me. I separated from the guys because I'm not willing to risk their lives just to raise the chances of keeping mine."

"I understand."

I stared at him in surprise. "Really?"

"As your friend, as much as I'd like to help you, I have to respect your decision."

"So, why are you here?" I asked.

"I'm hunting down the members of the Phantom Troupe."

"And what's with the shovel?"

Kurapika's eyes narrowed as he stared at the handle of his shovel. "Beneath all these rocks and soil is Uvogin. He's a spider."

"You killed him, didn't you?"

He nodded. "It's weird." Kurapika began, "I'm not happy that I killed him. No matter how angry I am at the Phantom Troupe, killing him didn't seem right. I don't get it." He shook his head.

"You've never killed anyone before. So, unlike me, you're human."

"What do you mean?"

"The first time I killed a person, I didn't feel anything - not before, not during, not after. You could say I'm just a robot, a tool whose main purpose is to kill, rather." I looked up at the red moon.

"You're not a robot." Kurapika said, "Valenia, you fell in love with Leorio – LEORIO... ehem... That proves you are, in fact, a human who has feelings and emotions."

"I never said I loved him!" I blurted out, blushing.

"Valenia, it's pretty obvious. You love him and he's head over heels for you."

I blushed even harder.

"Anyway, how'd you find me here?"

"That was pure luck." I replied. "For now, only you and Killua know why I've left. Don't tell Leorio or Gon, please."

"I promise. Will you be coming back?"

I lowered my head. Tears began to form in my eyes. Kurapika took my hand and pulled me into a hug. "At least try." He whispered into my ear.

That did it. My eyes were waterfalls now. I nodded and hugged my friend tightly. "I will."

We both drew back and stared at each other. I held out my hand. "Good luck."

Kurapika grasped my hand and shook it. "Likewise,"

The two of us parted ways, not sure if fate were to let us meet again.

* * *

**Valenia: By fate, I mean Rafie.**

**Rafie: Hey! No spoilers! -smirks- Don't forget to review, people!**


	32. Hitman Hunting 101

**CONFESSIONS OF A FANFICTION OC**

**Rafie: Hah! Your turn!**

**Valenia: Okay... um... I may have considered sneaking some poison into your food. *swipes pizza from me* Don't eat that.**

**Rafie: *wide-eyed* Aw, hell no, dude. Don't do that to my pizza!**

* * *

Learning Zetsu was hard for me. How's a person gonna make their aura disappear just like that? That's what I thought until sensei told me this:

"It isn't going to disappear, Val, you simply hide it. Your aura is still there, just undetectable."

I remember my face flushing in embarrassment that day. Huh, I liked sensei. He was nice. Too bad Xaphan had him killed…

* * *

It's been an hour since Kurapika and I parted ways. I was still in the wasteland, in one of the 'rooms', huddled up between two rocks. I was using Zetsu so that none of the dogs who actually knew Nen could find me. As long as none of them check the map, I won't have to run or kill anyone.

A few hitmen were gathering in the 'room' I was in. And none of them seemed too happy to see each other. I couldn't see Izakiel anywhere. I heard a gunshot and pressed myself onto the ground. That gunshot was followed by more and clashing on blades. Before I knew it, only 3 men were left out of, more or less, 20 hired killers. They didn't seem hostile with each other so I took the nearest gun from the ground near me and pulled the trigger. One man, down. Two… Three…

I stood up, wiped my fingerprints off the gun and dropped it on one of the corpses. I checked map on my phone. Only 77 hitmen left after me. There was no time to celebrate. More were catching up on me. It was time to move again.

Man, I miss those guys already. I wonder what they were up to… crying, maybe.

As I was walking away, I heard a faint sound from above. When I spun around, I saw an arrow ricochet off the skin of my arm.

"Good evening, Val."

"Izakiel…" I whispered, clenching my fists.

Izakiel stood atop one of the walls of the 'room'. He held a bow in one of his hands. "Both your Nen and physical brawn were strong enough to block my arrow. Quite impressive,"

"Save the compliments for when I care." I retorted.

He laughed mockingly. He made ten or so arrows levitate behind him.

I stared at the arrows. "Manipulator?"

Izakiel's smile grew bigger. "How 'bout you? Enhancer?"

I picked the arrow up and snapped it into two. My opponent jumped down the wall and stood before me. The arrows started speeding towards me. They had a large amount of aura in them so I had to dodge them, or they'd cut right through me.

The rest of the night… well I can summarize that up with ease. Let's see I ran through the 'room', ran up one of the walls, jumped down, failed to crush Izakiel's skull with my boot, had my ass kicked (literally), and almost got killed. What did you do last night while I was almost killed? Thankfully, I was able to escape with nothing but a bruised arm and a scar of my cheek.

* * *

It was morning when I'd stopped running and panicking. When I checked the map, I realized that most of the hitmen weren't out on the field, looking for me…

They were in a casino.

I'm not even old enough to be allowed in a casino. Then again, I've talked my way into bars all around this world so how hard could it be to sneak into a casino?

* * *

Do I look 18? The guard let me in. Do I look older than I actually am? Agh! What does it matter? I need to find some hitmen to fool. Currently, there were 9 wasting their money here. It's time to go a-hunting!

It was easy to tell a hitman from a crowd. Just spot the trinket - That little silver thing on a chain that was shape just like the emblem of Altaria. They're the only ones who have it, anyway.

I found three on the slots, three playing poker on separate tables, one trying to hit on this random waitress (and failing, horribly), and the last two playing blackjack. I got them to start tracking me by stealing some of their money. I left the casino when I was sure they were following me and entered a long alley. I climbed up to the roof and waited for them. When all 9 arrived, tempers flared.

"That Valdera girl's mine, gents."

"Cut the crap, if you want her, you'll have to kill me first."

"That can be arranged."

They all pulled out their weapons and killed each other. I didn't even have to lift a finger. That leaves only 68 hitmen to take care of. I jumped down the roof, using my enhanced abilities to survive the fall, and walked away. I'm off to find more idiots.

* * *

**Rafie: I just had a fever, but I was lucky enough to get this stuff done. Rejoice! **

**Valenia: Don't forget to review, please! Wait, why did I say that?**

**Rafie: *facepalm* That was my line, dude.**


	33. Why am I Still Alive?

**CONFESSIONS OF AN OC'S BEST FRIENDS (Part 1)**

**Kurapika: No. I do not, nor have I ever, had a crush on Valenia.**

**Leorio: Well, that's a relief!**

**Rafie: On with the fanfiction!**

* * *

"Shakes 'n' Smoothies" was located a few kilometres from the wasteland where I'd met Kurapika. It was your typical fast food restaurant. I was there, eating alone. Or so I THOUGHT I was alone.

"Hey, Valenia,"

"How is it that you keep on finding me? I've been using Zetsu this whole time." I asked the empty chair before me, biting into a double cheeseburger.

"I check the map." replied the empty space.

Before me was Izakiel. Since he's a Manipulator, I can conclude that he's using his aura to bend the light around him to make it seem like he isn't there. When I told him of my theory, he laughed and replied:

"You're right. You smart girl, you,"

"Cut the crap, Guerrero." I snapped, "What do you want? You don't seem to have any hostile intentions. Plus, you're not stupid enough to attack me when I'm in a crowd."

"Right again, Val." He said, "I'm here because I want to make a deal with you."

"If you want a truce, you can forget it."

"No, no. It's not that. Listen, I know the weapons and techniques of all the hitmen who are after you. And I can tell you who you should watch out for."

"What do I have to do to get you to tell me all that information?" I asked, leaning in out of curiosity.

"Easy," Izakiel replied, "Tell me your Enhancer abilities." I heard him chuckle softly.

I snarled. "Not worth it."

"Oh, really? What if I told you that ten hitmen know Nen? Also, that they have teamed up and are currently searching for you?"

I could imagine the smile on his face. He had me. I needed to know who those ten not-so-pathetic dogs were. They could be a real threat! Wait… what if he's tricking me? What if he's just bluffing so he can find out what my abilities are and gain an advantage? Agh, this is all so confusing! Should I tell him, or not?

Honestly, I didn't like relying on my aura to beat people, but sometimes you just HAVE to make use of it, you know?

My Enhancement abilities were simple. One would be heightening all five senses, but that would need complete focus. And that would leave me vulnerable to all enemies around me. I prefer not to use it. The second, I call it 'infragilis'. Yes, I named it after that magical circuit in my old shock collar. How this ability works is simple. My skin and bones turn hard as diamonds, but to me, it still feels the same. This ability also requires a lot of focus, luckily, not as much as the former, but still hard to pull off. Note to self, start meditating and finding "inner peace" or whatever.

"No deal, Guerrero." I stood up. "It's not worth it. See ya in the battlefield." At that, I walked away from the table. I checked my phone. 54 hitmen were left tracking me. It isn't possible for so many to turn on each other so fast, is it? I spun around. I could sense Izakiel behind me.

"You killed them."

"Yeah," he replied casually.

"Why?"

"Because you, my dear, can only be captured-slash-killed by me." I felt an invisible hand brush the side of my face. I spat on the ground in front of me. "Missed,"

"Go away." I turned around. Off to the abandoned amusement park.

* * *

I've never ridden on any of these things before. Sad, noh?

"That's a roller coaster. That's a ferris wheel. That's a merry-go-round." I said, pointing at each ride. Those hitmen were taking a long time to get here. I've been walking around for about thirty minutes now! I couldn't sense Izakiel's aura so it's either I was alone or he was using Zetsu. Ugh, that guy messes me up so much. I hate it!

I hauled myself up and over a low fence. Beyond it was that ride that had lots of swings and spun around really fast. I forgot what it was called – The Carousel of Swings? Nah. Anyway, I climbed up the base and sat on the nearest swing, not bothering to put on the seatbelt.

It was cold. The breeze was fairly stronger up here. I liked it. It reminded me of that night. That night on the balcony… with Leorio… I slapped myself. "Don't think about them, Val." I snapped, "It'll only hurt you."

Sadly, snapping at myself didn't work. I began to think about the first time my friends and I had met. Gon was a happy-go-lucky kid who seemed a bit naïve. Kurapika and Leorio once hated each other. Killua seemed like such and apathetic boy to me, way back when.

Now, everything is different. Gon, he's stronger than ever before. Kurapika and Leorio, they're best friends. It doesn't show, but I know they are! Kurapika's the wisest person I've ever met. Leorio… you could say I'm in love with the guy. He's my knight in shining armor. And Killua, he's a great friend, especially to Gon. Without him, Gon wouldn't be as strong as he is now.

Passionless puppet of the darkness? That's bullshit, Illumi. Killua will surpass you and all the Zoldycks. He'll prove that he's not like you. He's not a killing machine like me.

"_Valenia, you fell in love with Leorio – LEORIO... ehem... That proves you are, in fact, a human who has feelings and emotions."_

Kurapika's voice spoke up in my head. He said I was human. I have feelings and emotions.

Then, why do I feel like a tool? Why do I feel like just another random robot that was programmed to kill? I don't get it. Why can't my brain comprehend that I'm a human being? I wonder.

My train of thought was broken when a bullet whizzed past me, tearing off some of the skin on my arm. I clutched the wound and looked back to see ten or so hitmen, they're guns pointed at me.

"Idiot! I told you to fire the same time we do. Now, she's going to get away!" said one of them.

I wasted no time. I jumped down the swing and hid behind the base. Looks like I'm gonna have to do some killing…

Having no emotion when killing people has its upsides.

None of those dogs seemed to know Nen. Good. I strengthened my aura, focusing hard. "C'mon, Val… Infragilis," You want to know one downside of infragilis? It's simple. You don't know whether it's working or not. The only way to find out now is to jump out and meet a hundred bullets of different kinds. If I die, well, you know what that means. If I survive, then, WOOHOO!

I took a deep breath and left my hiding place. I lunged toward the hitmen, taking my boomerang and flicking it open. The dogs pointed all their guns at me and began shooting. I shut my eyes.

…Hah! I'm alive! All you bastards are so DEAD.

I threw my boomerang at the nearest hitman. It hit him right in the middle of his forehead. I dashed past his dead body, taking my boomerang back. I spun around and counted eleven more hitmen. They were still firing at me.

"Stop trying!" I called out to them, throwing my boomerang again. This time, it buried itself in one of the hitmen's shoulders. The dog held on to his shoulder and glared at me. He began firing again.

A dozen bullets were ricocheting off me every second. Can't these guys take a hint? I walked toward the hitman who had my boomerang and punched him in the face. Since my hand was as hard as diamond, the impact of the blow made him fall back a few feet. I stepped on his stomach, hard, and pulled out my boomerang. The man screamed in pain. I stepped on his neck. There was a loud crack and the man fell silent. He lay there, motionless.

By now, the other dogs had dropped their guns and were holding different melee weapons. Swords, lances, knives – those stereotypical weapons. Sticks with blades attached to them, basically.

All ten dogs lunged at me at the same time. I jumped up. They stopped, looked at each other for a while, and turned to look at me. I landed on one of the dogs, crushing his whole body entirely. It wasn't a pretty sight. I spun around. The hand that held my boomerang cut through all the hitmen who came too close. This attack was followed by a kick to one of the dogs' heads.

"Eight idiots left." I said to myself, throwing my boomerang. "Make that seven." I added.

* * *

That night was filled with screams. Fortunately, no one would hear it since this place was, pretty much, abandoned. I was so tired. Not a good sign. Those guys didn't even know Nen. What if they were the ten Izakiel was talking about? If that were the case, I probably would've died. Sinking to the ground, I started to use Zetsu. I just need to rest for a while. I can't sleep, or else someone might slit my throat and claim the reward.

So this was my life now, huh? How pitiful.

Why don't I just die, you ask? If I die, the world would be a better place. That'll be one less killing machine to worry about, right?

I can't die. Kurapika told me to try and get out of this. I refuse to die because I don't want to leave the people who are dear to me. If I died, I wouldn't be able to protect them. I've had enough of seeing the people I love drift away. First, it was Sophilia and Feldar. Now, it's Izakiel. And it's worse since he's my enemy now. At one point, we'll have to battle to the death. Only one can be left standing.

Only one.

* * *

**Valenia: Ugh! I wanna SLEEP!**

**Rafie: But, you can't.**

**Valenia: Shut your face!**

**Rafie: Review, please. :)**

* * *

**Hitmen: 42 to go.**


	34. The Chase

**CONFESSIONS OF AN OC'S BEST FRIENDS (Part 2)**

**Killua: Um, Valenia... Well, for one, I called her Valiena and acted like I didn't know her real name to see if she'd get pissed. She didn't. I like Valenia.**

**Valenia: -smiles-**

**Rafie: Fanfic time!**

* * *

I'm such a weird person. Part of me has lost hope, while the other part is telling the former to hang on because I've still got friends to return to. WHAT DO I DO?! GWAAAHHHH!

I reached into my pocket and pulled out my phone. 30 hitmen. Looks like Izakiel's been keeping himself busy. Why do I get the feeling that, in the end, I'll be standing in some field, face-to-face with Izakiel? I dunno. I just know it's going to be the two of us. Fate wouldn't have it any other way.

But, why? Why him? Why couldn't it be some random hitman who I could beat in, say, a minute? How do I KNOW that it'll be me and Izakiel? Was it because he's suddenly developed this hatred towards me and that that's what's giving him such determination? If that's the case, then, what did I do? What did I do that was so terrible that he'd travel all the way to the other side of the world to find and kill me?

_What could it be?_

_What could it be..?_

_What..?_

Ugh. The sun is coming up. I have to get out of this rotting carnival and maybe eat something.

* * *

It's been two days. I haven't seen a single hitman since that night at the old amusement park. I wanted to sleep so badly, but I couldn't because, like I said, I didn't want to die while I was in dreamland. So, I spent most of my days either stuffing myself silly with gelato, crying, or walking around and not bothering to even check the map. I was so messed up.

Oh, and can you believe my luck? I ended up walking into Gon and the others' hotel and sitting down on one of the couches to rest for a while. Just in time for the three boys to come down the elevator.

"Va-Va-VALENIA?!" Gon exclaimed, pointing right at me.

Leorio and Killua jerked their heads and stared at me, mouths agape.

I hit my self on the head. "Stupid!" I hissed at myself. I quickly stood up and dashed for the exit.

"Wait, Valenia-!" Leorio called out, chasing after me.

The three screamed my name out again and again. Since I was an Enhancer, I was able to outrun them, soon enough. Or, so I thought.

"Why are you running away from us?" Gon, who was suddenly right in front of me, asked.

I jumped back. "Gon!" I screamed.

"Tell me!"

I sighed. "Gon, I…" I hesitated. "I can't…" I shook my head.

"We've been worried, sick, Valenia. Leorio's been so depressed, lately. Do you know how sad you've made him?!" Gon was angry. He was screaming at me with all his might. All the people around us turned to watch the scene.

"Remember that little promise we made, Gon?"

"Yes. You said you'd help me get back at Hisoka."

I nodded. "But, I also said that if I saw at least one hitman tracking me, I'd walk away."

Gon fell silent. I took the phone from my pocket and flicked it open. 20 hitmen left… Bravo, Guerrero.

"Will I ever see you again..?" he asked, tears forming in his eyes.

"Shush, shush, don't cry." I began, kneeling down before Gon. I placed my hands on his shoulders. "I can't promise you anything, but I'm gonna bust my ass because I really, REALLY want to stay with you guys again. Okay?"

Gon nodded.

"Right now, Valenia's got some childhood problems to take care of. So, I have no choice, but to leave. You understand, right Gon?" Referring to myself in third person was weird. I was beginning to cry.

Gon nodded again. The tears started dripping down his cheeks. I wiped them away. I smiled at Gon and kissed his forehead. "Bye, Gon."

"B-bye…" he stammered, rubbing his eyes.

I stood up and dashed away.

I can honestly say that that was one of the most painful things I've ever experienced.

* * *

"That certainly was a sad scene." An all-too-familiar voice from behind me said. I was back at the barren wasteland.

"It had to be done." I replied casually, "So, what have you been doing? Besides killing your own comrades, I mean."

"Following you, obviously." He laughed.

"Oh, you creepy stalker-man,"

He laughed even louder. "I'm killing your enemies. You should be thankful!"

"I've been meaning to ask, why not kill me now?"

He thought for a while. "Simple," he said eagerly, "It's because I want to fight you. Y'know, a REAL fight. No interruptions. No begging for mercy. No reinforcements. Just you and me in a battle to the death."

I sat down on the rocky floor. "You sure like dramatic things." I commented.

Silence.

"What happened to you?" I asked, glancing up at the empty space beside me. "You promised you'd never become a puppet. You promised me you'd never let them brainwash you."

"Well you see, now, I've realized that the Altarians are right. Money makes the world go 'round. Without money, you have no power. It seems like I've been allured to the delight known as riches.

"Take this for example. I wouldn't be hunting you down if the Altarian government hadn't put a price on your head. I mean, yes, I'm angry at you, but what would I gain from killing you?"

"Satisfaction," I answered.

"But is that worth it? Is the plain, boring satisfaction one gains from killing another enough to make someone actually do it?"

"They've brainwashed you. You're worse than me." I said to him.

"'Brainwashed'? More like 'opened my eyes'." he said, "Now, I've realized that with money, I'll be able to do whatever I want, whenever. I could become a master in Altaria, if I wanted to."

I glared at him. "You wouldn't."

He laughed. "I'll treat all my slaves just like how Xaphan treated you."

"I hate you." I snarled.

"Why just me? Doesn't that man you love so much yearn for riches, too? Leorio, right?"

My eyes widened in fear. "Don't you dare lay a finger on him."

"Hmph, so you DO love him."

I took my boomerang and flicked it open. "DON'T YOU DARE!" I swung it at the area where I could sense his aura. And missed.

"Ah, ah, ah…" I heard his feet touch the ground a few feet away from me. "This isn't our time to fight, Valenia. And don't worry I won't hurt your Leorio. Like I said, I wouldn't be able to gain anything important so why bother?" His aura disappeared and I was left there, alone. Alone, like I always was.

"I'll take care of the 10 weaklings." he called out from afar, "The last 10 who know Nen will be for you. Try not to die." And his cold laughter filled the air. It made me shudder.

Ugh. Time to go search for those 10 dogs who knew Nen.

* * *

**Rafie: Next chapter... Hah! No spoilers, remember?**

**Killua: I miss playing Skyrim with Val.**

**Gon: Me too. We're level 50 already, Valenia! Come back soon!**

**Rafie: Review please! I'm dying to see some feedback!**


	35. The End?

**CONFESSIONS OF AN OC'S BEST FRIENDS (PART 3)**

**Valenia: Yeah, do tell your secrets, Gon- WHAT ARE YOU READING?!**

**Gon: It's about you and Leorio.**

**Valenia: It's lemon, ain't it? -blushes-**

**Gon: Lemon? The fruit?**

**Valenia: -swipes paper and reads- Oh my... -blushes even harder- WHO THE HELL WROTE THIS?!**

**Hisoka: -raises hand-**

**Valenia: I am going to KKKKEEEEEEEEEELLLLL you.**

**Hisoka: -smiles-**

**-They chase each other-**

* * *

There I was, in the middle of one of the 'rooms', surrounded by ten hitmen.

All ten knew Nen.

"You sure this is the Valdera girl? She seems so… weak." said one of the men, grinning.

"You've seen the pictures." said another, "This is definitely her." The man snapped and a tongue of fire appeared right above his hand.

I studied the men closely. One was a transmuter who used his aura to make fire. One was a conjurer. I saw him create a sword out of thin air. One was probably a manipulator. He had this cheetah with him. As for the other seven, I can't tell.

It's gonna be a long night.

The wild cat charged at me. I jumped high, evading its attack. Just then, a sharp object pierced my back and went right through one side of my stomach. I heard laughter from below.

"Ever heard of Gyo, Valdera?" asked a man who was holding a pistol. A long chain that slowly grew in size trailed from inside the tiny pistol and into my stomach. This guy was a conjurer. I fell down, landing, hard, on my back. The chained weapon pushed farther through my stomach. I groaned.

I saw a man bend down to examine me. "Hmm, you're not as powerful as I expected."

"We overestimated you, slave."

My hand crept up and took hold of what felt like a hook. I trapped the hook in my fist. I was attempting to break it. "I'm not a slave." I whispered. The aura around me flared. I could tell because the man staggered back. I tightened my grip around the hook. After a few seconds, it snapped into two. I pulled the chain out of my stomach and stood up.

Enhancement skills + Extreme pain tolerance = I AM STILL ALIVE, ASSHOLES.

I pulled the boomerang out of its case and flicked it open. I threw it at the hitman who held the pistol. He blocked it with his gun, but, he didn't see me running toward him. I kicked him in the face. I wonder what it feels like to be kicked in the face by a hand made out of diamonds. I'll never know. But, it must hurt a whole lot. The man dropped his pistol. I swooped down and took it. It had no bullets. I was right, he was a conjurer.

Snap! I broke the gun into two.

I lunged at the conjurer. Unfortunately, I was stopped by someone who kicked me in the stomach. It actually hurt. Looks like we've got an enhancer! I was thrown back.

I tasted blood in my mouth. That was not a good sign. I might end up dying he- No, no, no! Don't think like that! You need to, Valenia. You need to go back to your friends. If you don't, you might as well live in the void and regret about what you couldn't accomplish. FOREVER.

I got up and dashed toward my boomerang, picking it up and throwing it at the nearest dog. I'm guessing it was the enhancer. He swerved out of the way, giving me enough time to go after the conjurer again. I ran behind him before he could even notice and twisted his neck. "That's for shooting me." I hissed.

A man punched my back. I fell forward and another landed his elbow on my stomach. He kicked me away and the next slapped my head with the back of his hand. Finally, the fourth dog kicked my legs, causing me to fall. He broke one of my arms. How nice – a four-hit combo. I sat up and punched his face, followed by a kick in the balls. He clutched the middle of his pants. His face was the definition of pain.

So! I've devised a pretty simple plan. Avoid the enhancers until you've killed all the others. Once all the non-enhancers are dead, go crazy. Go completely and utterly crazy.

The manipulator's cheetah charged at me. I let it bite me, took hold of its fur with my free hand and tossed it away. Far away. I dodged an enhancer's attack and dashed toward the cat-less manipulator. He produced a knife from his belt and thrust it at my chest. It didn't pierce through my skin. Instead, it slid across my chest, onto my arm, and away from my body, completely. "Only an enhancer," I began, taking hold of the man's lower and upper jaw with my hands. "Can beat another enhancer." I flicked the hand that held onto the upper jaw towards the sky. Half of the dog's face flew across the sky. How brutal. Classic Valenia, no?

The conjurer seemed to know a lot about manipulation. He created a million swords and then made them all fight me at the same time. I was fine, since infragilis was working. But, I have to tell you, it was hard to get rid of him with all the swords blocking my way and the enhancers attacking me. It took about… thirty minutes for me to kill that guy. The enhancers even got to attack me. Five times! Imagine how pissed I am!

The last conjurer was pretty good. He focused almost all of his aura into small shards in his hand. The shards were made of diamonds. And he probably made a vow. I could tell because once the shards neared my body, I felt my aura weaken. This left me vulnerable to the enhancers. I had to keep away from the shards completely. I jumped high up and landed on the last conjurer's face and crushed his skull. His idea was clever, I admit. But, he gave me a lot of opportunities to attack. That was his only flaw.

Now, for the guy who creates fire… He created this barrier of blue flames around him. It was useless, of course, since my skin was as hard as diamonds. He was, most likely, the weakest of the bunch.

* * *

Three conjurers.

One transmuter.

One manipulator.

Four enhancers.

That's only nine.

* * *

"Hey, guys." said a voice from afar. It was another hitman. Perhaps he was the tenth.

"Where have you been? Valdera's been killing us, here." said one of the conjurers.

"Sheesh, you guys were the ones saying that you could beat her without me. Now, you're complaining?"

"Just do it."

My eyes darted from the four enhancers to the lone dog. What was he gonna do? What was he? An enhancer, maybe?

"Hello, Ms. Valdera. I'm a hitman, obviously." He showed me the key chain with the Altarian insignia. "I'm an emitter. Do you know what I can do?" he asked.

I glared at him, still conscious of the enhancers behind me.

He laughed. "I can suck out your aura."

My eyes widened in fear. I dashed away. The enhancers didn't even bother to go after me. They just smiled. The emitter screamed oh, so loudly. I felt the power slowly drain from my body. I fell down. The enhancers walked toward me, those mocking smiles on their faces. The emitter was still screaming when the enhancers reached me. One of them took a pistol from their belt and pointed it at my head.

BANG!


	36. Seventeen

**Rafie: Psych! It's not over, yet!**

* * *

A bright light… I see a really bright light. It's blinding…

It HURTS!

* * *

I tried to sit up and failed.

"Don't bother." said a voice. I turned my head (it hurt) to look at whoever it was.

"Iza…kiel..? I whispered. I didn't expect to see him. Did he save me from those last five hitmen?

As if he'd read my mind, he answered, "Yes. I saved you from those Nen users."

"Why?" I asked.

"Like I said, only I can kill you." He stretched. "If you can't beat five, stupid hitmen, how do you expect to beat me?" Izakiel smiled, looking down at me with those scary, blue eyes of his.

"Don't feel so high and- " I started to cough. I saw blood rocketing out from my mouth.

"Just… stop talking, okay?" he said, shoving a handkerchief into my mouth.

I started saying spiteful things at him. Sadly, only muffled words left my mouth. "Arrhhhooogghhhannt! Shhhttuppeeed! Mmeerrrccchhhiilesscchh!" I began coughing again. Izakiel sighed. Only now did I notice that I was lying on some old, ruined bed in an alley and Izakiel was sitting beside me. My hands and feet weren't tied together. I was just too weak or in pain to move them. The wound on my stomach was now patched up.

"I want to beat you fair and square, okay?" he blurted out. "I know I've done some things that aren't exactly good, but, I still have a sense of pride. So do me a favor and go to sleep, or something." He stood up and walked sat down again on the floor. "I'll kill you when you're not sick and weak anymore."

I spit the piece of cloth out. "Pride? PRIDE?!" I screamed, ignoring the blood dripping down my cheeks. "How can you still be so proud of yourself when you succumbed to Altaria's bullshit? How can still be proud when you've given yourself up to those freaks? How can you still be proud when you broke your promise?!"

Izakiel stood up and pinned me to the bed (as if I wasn't already frozen in place). "You think you're not a freak, Val?" he asked, pure anger in his eyes. "Once upon a time you succumbed to your master's bullshit. You killed people just because he told you to. You were once a freak, Val. Oh, wait. Who's to say you're not a still a freak now? Lastly, about this stupid promise, you've broken a promise once, Valenia. You told Sophilia and Feldar that you'd become a hunter and that you'd save them. Where's your hunter license, huh? Where is it, Val? Oh, right. You don't have one!" Izakiel stood up and started laughing. I just lay there, crying.

"And you know what?" He didn't wait for me to answer. "You're going to join Sophilia and Feldar, tonight. Up there!" He pointed at the sky.

He inhaled deeply and laughed again. "Then when they see you, they'll look at you with these fucking condescending eyes. And you know what they'll say? YOU KNOW WHAT THEY'LL SAY, VALENIA?" Izakiel went close to the bed and leaned down. "They're gonna tell you that you FAILED." he whispered into my ear.

* * *

Anger. Rage. Hatred. Those were the things that I felt that moment. Before, I knew it, I was pouncing at the asshole, pinning him to the ground. Blood was still dripping down from my mouth. The droplets landed on Izakiel's face. I took my boomerang and flicked it open. Izakiel reacted quickly. He took the knife from his belt and slashed at my stomach. The bandages came off, revealing a few stitches.

I jumped back, clutching my stomach tightly.

"If you want to die now, then so be it." A hundred arrows appeared behind Izakiel. Stupid conjuration skills…

I mustered up all the aura I could and faced the arrows head on. My anger seemed to be making my aura way more powerful than it should be. Izakiel stopped firing arrows and snarled. He took his knife again and beckoned me to attack. I lunged, my boomerang aimed at his neck.

Tsink! Tsink! Tsink!

That was the sound of our blades clashing. After the third block, Izakiel jumped and delivered a kick to my head. I fell back. Izakiel stood above me and brought his knife down. I was fast enough to block. I spat on his face and kicked him away.

More tsinks…

It felt nice… (tsink) the feeling of fighting without the aid of Nen. (tsink) Or, at least, the feeling of not having to using any Nen techniques. (tsink) Whatever. (tsink)

My elbow made contact with his face. He staggered back. I delivered another blow to his face. He moved back another few steps. I sank the knife into his stomach. "Payback," I whispered. I twisted the knife and pulled it out. Izakiel fell down with a thud.

He coughed. He whispered something. I had to bend down to understand what he was saying. "I'm sorry." He kept on saying it. And, for the first time, he cried. He seemed genuinely penitent. Soon enough, I was crying too.

I saw a small cell phone tied to his belt. I took it and placed it in his hand. "Do this one thing for me, Izakiel." I began. He nodded. "Tell them I'm dead." I took my cell phone from my pocket and crushed it. They shouldn't be able to track me now.

Izakiel dialled a number and pressed the phone to his ear. "Hello?" he began, "Yes, Valenia Valdera has been killed…. Huh? The reward?... I don't think I'll be getting it. Yes. Goodbye." He looked up at me and smiled.

I smiled, too. I took Izakiel in my arms and hugged him tightly.

"Happy birthday, Val." Was the last thing he said to me. September 23... He's right. I'm seventeen now.

* * *

**Hitmen: 0/100**

**Review please :)**


	37. Plans

**BONUS CHAPTER!**

**Rafie: These are Izakiel's last thoughts.**

* * *

_You were my best friend. You were my only friend. And yet, I turned against you. What kind of friend am I?_

_Do you remember the day I helped you get out of the hitman camp? My plan was that, one day, I'd get out of there and escape from the eyes of the government at least once. I'd look for you, then we'd run away together. _

_I loved you, Valenia._

_When that day finally came, Sophilia told me that you went out to become a hunter. For months, I sat alone, getting angry at myself because I was too late. Soon, I succumbed to the ways of the Altarians. _

_Money._

_Money._

_Money._

_Kill._

_Kill._

_Kill._

_That's all I could think about._

_Then, Xaphan called me to his mansion. He told me that you were with a man who went by the name Leorio Paladinight. He must've known I was in love with you because he hired me to kill you. That's when the anger came rushing in. _

_Blinded by anger and jealousy, I devised a plan that would get me everything that I thought I wanted. It went like this: I'd frame you, making the government think that you killed your own master. Surely, the Altarians would put a price on that. Once a good bounty was settled upon, I'd hunt you down and kill you._

_Before that, I decided to do a little research. I had my tracker disabled for a few months. I found you with that Leorio guy in his house. You looked so happy. Your smile was beautiful. It was so beautiful that I even forgot what I was doing. _

_At that moment, I realized how twisted I had become._

_I discarded the whole "Kill Valenia and Get the Money" plan and decided to help you without giving myself away. I knew that if I came to you and admitted how much I loved you, it would only make matters worse. _

_I started killing hitmen. I also started, in a way, stalking you. I admit that that's creepy of me to do. I'm sorry._

_The last part of my plan was simple. Once all the hitmen, except me, were killed, I'd get in a fight with you._

_And lose._

_Then, I'd call the Altarian government and tell them that I killed you. It would be the only way to redeem myself._

* * *

_That last moment… that hug you gave me… I never expected that. Your hug felt warm. I felt as if I was forgiven. I was happy._

_You never deserved anything Altaria threw at you, Valenia. More importantly, you deserve to live a happy life. I hope you do._

_I am truly lucky to have met someone like you, Val. Truly._

_Happy birthday, Valenia._

___I love you._

_I'm sorry for everything I've said and done._

_Goodbye._


	38. Reunion

**CONFESSIONS OF AN OC'S BOYFRIEND**

**Leorio: Ummm... I don't want to say it...**

**Rafie: Out with it, dude.**

**Valenia: Yeah, go ahead.**

**Leorio: Ehem... I want... -points at Valenia- ...in my bed... like... now.**

**Valenia: -blushes-**

**Rafie: Okay, then. On with the fanfiction!**

* * *

"Happy birthday to me…" I was walking through an abandoned part of town that was near the wasteland, feeling at peace. I knew nobody was out to kill me anymore so I might as well enjoy myself a bit, right?

WRONG.

Two strong hands grabbed me from behind and pulled me toward one of the old buildings. I tried to scream, but one of the hands was firmly clamped over my mouth. I tried to wriggle away, but the other hand was wrapped around my stomach, keeping me from escaping. It was hurting my wound!

"Shhhh…" said a familiar voice, "Use Zetsu."

I was breathing hard, but I felt calmer. I took a deep breath and let my aura disappear.

The dude dragged me down a narrow hallway and stopped right before the entrance of a big room. Inside, I saw a small group of people. One was staring at a piece of paper, looking scared.

"These people are spiders." I finally recognized the man's voice. It was Hisoka! He blew into my ear. I shuddered.

"What the hell do you want?" I asked from behind his hand. It came out muffled. Hisoka only put a finger to his lips.

"Listen." he said. I sighed, closed my eyes, and listened in on the Phantom Troupe.

They were talking about… poems? Wait. They're talking about some chain-user who killed one of their own.

Kurapika. It had to be him.

But it seemed as if they were planning against going after Kurapika. That was a relief.

Hisoka dragged me out of the building and pushed me down. I sat on the dirty floor, unable to move. This guy was freaking scary. He looked at me with those creepy eyes. "Go back to Kurapika and tell him that the bodies were fake." He smiled. "If you don't…" Hisoka produced a card from his sleeve and brushed it against my cheek.

I smiled nervously, nodded at him, then sped away.

"Happy birthday." He called out, waving goodbye.

"Thank you!" I replied, looking back.

* * *

"Sir, can you direct me to Yorknew Hotel?" I asked a store merchant.

"Oh, just go down that road and go in the big building over there." The merchant pointed at a tall building in the distance.

"Thank you." I said, smiling. I left the store and made my way to the hotel, excited to see my friends again.

Screw the easy entrance. I made my way to the room by jumping from one window to another. When I reached the right floor, I tapped on the window. Lightly, at first. No one would answer. So, I slammed my fist on the glass.

Leorio opened the window. "Go away, spider!" he screamed at my face. I leaned back and tripped. Leorio realized what he just did and grabbed my hand and pulled me into the room.

"Valenia!" The people in the room screamed. Kurapika was there.

I stopped for a while and counted the people in the room. "Killua, Gon, Kurapika, Leorio, Valenia!.." My mouth was wide open.

"Hey, we're all together again!" Gon said happily. He ran toward me and hugged me tightly. Killua waved at me, smiling sincerely. I waved back. When Gon had let go, Kurapika hugged me too. He whispered a small thank you into my ear. He took a step back, placed his hands on my shoulders, and forced me to turn around. Leorio stood behind me, looking happy as hell.

Did I mention that he was crying? Yes. Those were definitely manly tears.

He just knelt down. He took my face in his hands. "Do you know how worried I was about you? Do you know how long I stayed up at night, wishing you were okay? Do you-" He paused to wipe away some snot dripping down his nose. "Did you know that this is the first time I've cried over a girl?"

I put my arms around his neck. "I'm actually flattered." Tears began to form in my eyes. I kissed him. "I missed you."

I looked back. "I missed all of you so much." I smiled. "Oh, and, uh… have I told you guys that it's my birthday today?"

The boys stared at me, mouths agape. "Really?!"

Leorio took hold of my legs and carried me.

"Agh! Put me down!" I screamed at him, blushing.

He laughed. "I think a celebration is in order. Don't you guys agree?"

All three boys nodded in agreement.

* * *

So, the boys ended up taking me to the amusement park. We rode all of the rides. It was really, really fun.

Gon and Killua were successful in coaxing me and Leorio into going in the Tunnel of Love.

"So… one-hundred hitmen, huh?" Leorio began.

"Hehe… yeah."

"And you managed to kill all of them?"

"Not exactly… I had a little help." I told Leorio all about my past and Izakiel.

"Izakiel Guerrero…" he said.

I nodded. "He killed most of the hitmen. He's also the one who greeted me first on my birthday. In fact, those were his last words…" I sighed.

"Oh, right! I got you a little something." Leorio got a small box from his pocket. He opened it and took out a silver bracelet. "I wanted to get you a ring, but you might get the wrong idea…"

I laughed softly and held out my wrist. Leorio put the bracelet on. It was pretty. "Dude, if you gave me a flower, I would've accepted it happily. The only thing I really wanted…"

Dramatic pause.

"Was to see you guys again."

I leaned on his shoulder, staring at the bracelet. It was made of very small chain links. Amidst all the silver was one piece of the chain that was gold.

"You're the gold chain piece." Leorio told me. "One of a kind."

I stifled a laugh. "You know how cheesy that sounds, right?" I asked.

"Excuse me for trying to be sweet… whatever!" He put on an annoyed look.

"Hey, hey, I'm sorry." I said, looking up at him. "But, thanks for getting me this. It means a lot."

"You owe me ten kisses and one night." he snarled.

"When was that established?!"

"Just now,"

My eye twitched. "I can deal with the ten kisses. But, one night? Whaddaya mean?" My face turned red.

He grinned. He placed a finger on my chin and made me look at him. "You know exactly what I mean…"

* * *

When it was time to eat, Leorio, Gon, and Killua left to get some food, leaving me and Kurapika. Then, I remembered what Hisoka instructed me to do.

"Kurapika…" I began.

"Yes?"

"Hisoka… he wanted me to tell you something…"

Kurapika leaned in. "What is it?"

I sighed. "The bodies were fakes…"

Kurapika's face switched from calm to 'I WANT TO KILL SOMEONE RIGHT NOW'.

"What does it mean?" I asked.

Kurapika exhaled. "A few members of the Phantom Troupe were reported dead some time before. They even showed photos of their dead bodies."

"The bodies were fakes." I said again.

The boys had returned with the food. Kurapika stood up and slammed his fist on the table. "They're alive…" he said, "They're ALIVE." I stood up, ran behind him, and covered his eyes.

"Calm down, Kurapika…" I said.

The three stared at us with confused expressions.

This is gonna take a lot of explaining…

* * *

**Rafie: Favorite, review, or subscribe. Whichever! Just let me know that I'm not doing this for nothing! :D**

**Valenia: Show some love!**


	39. Just a Theory

**Rafie: VALENIA DOES NOT EXIST.**

**Valenia: Technically, I don't...**

* * *

"I've got bad news and worse news. What do you want first?" I asked. The boys and I were back at the hotel. Kurapika was much calmer now but, he was still a bit jumpy. Like whenever I said 'spider', I'd see his eyes dart from one side of the room to another. It was as if he was expecting one of the Phantom Troupe members to burst through the door.

"Bad," Gon said.

I exhaled and began to speak, "Apparently, the spiders are still alive. Those dead bodies that were shown in the news were fakes."

"What's the worse news?" Killua asked.

"The mafia's called off the hunt for the Phantom Troupe. Meaning if we're able to kill one of them in some sudden twist of luck, we won't gain anything from it, except maybe bragging rights."

"Why?"

Kurapika spoke up, "They come from Meteor City. A city where there are people who don't exist."

"What does that mean?"

I sat down on the couch as Kurapika continued to explain. "The people who live in Meteor City have no official proof of their existence. Thus, they don't exist. At least, that's how society sees it."

"They say that more than ten million people live there." Leorio said. "One thousand five-hundred years ago, it was just a dump. People just decided to live off the garbage.

"You're allowed to throw anything you want there – garbage, weapons…"

"Corpses…" I added.

"Anyway, I've heard that the residents of Meteor City have a special bond – thinner than that of strangers yet, stronger than that of family."

"Another rumour would be that the mafia provide the people of Meteor City with weapons or precious metals. They just hide them in garbage."

I laughed. "Actually, it's not really a rumour, Kurapika. It's true. I've heard my old master talk about it with his buddies from time to time. If you want a rumour, how about this: I might have originated from Meteor City."

"What?!" the boys exclaimed in unison.

"It's still a theory, though. I just assumed since I checked some Altarian slave profiles. Apparently, a majority of the slaves in Altaria come from Meteor City."

"Didn't you check yours?" Gon asked.

"I'm only seventeen. A person can only be registered as a slave by the age of eighteen."

"Moving on… In exchange of all the treasures, the mafia hire people from Meteor City. It would be pretty handy to have someone who, technically, didn't exist to do all the dirty work for you, after all."

"And you DO have someone who doesn't exist on your team - ME!" I said, pointing at myself. "Anyway, I guess the Phantom Troupe destroyed the bond that tied Meteor City with the mafia, right? Since they decided on a little heist and all…"

Kurapika nodded. "But the mafia decided to prioritize on that relationship. Thus, they got rid of the spider hunt."

I turned to check the clock. It was almost twelve in the morning. I stood up. "Come on, let's go to bed."

Kurapika opened his mouth to protest but, I spoke first, "We all need some rest, Kurapika. You need to calm down and I haven't slept for more than a week.

Everyone obliged.

* * *

The next day, after Gon and Killua offered to help Kurapika with capturing the spiders, we decided to do a little strategizing.

"We'll need a watchdog – someone who can give us updates on what the spiders are planning."

"I'll do it." Killua said.

"Keep a close eye on a woman named Pakunoda." Kurapika instructed him. "You can ignore the rest. But, be very careful." Killua nodded.

"I'll need a driver to accompany me." He turned to Leorio. "You can do that, can't you?"

"Eh?!" Leorio seemed surprised. "Well-"

"Don't worry, Leorio. You'll be fine with Kurapika." Killua said.

"Don't make me sound like I was scared or-"

"You'll be fine." I cut in. I smiled.

"Now, Gon, you'll act as the decoy to throw the enemy off."

"Hold on! Isn't that role a bit dangerous?!" Killua asked, standing up. "He'll have to deal with the Troupe members again!"

"Well, that depends on our strategy…"

"Hey, Kurapika," I began, "What's my job?"

"You watch Gon from a safe distance. If the worst comes, I'll be relying on you to get him out of any predicament that comes." He said.

I nodded. "Got it."

"As for our strategy, it's very simple. While the Troupe is focused on Gon, I'll capture Pakunoda and escape by car."

"A lot could go wrong in that plan." I commented.

"Yes, but it's the best I could think of, for now. And that's also why I made you keep an eye on Gon." He turned to look at our decoy. "I'll let you decide on what strategy you'll use. All you must to know is this: I need you to keep them distracted for at least half a second. One second would be good, too. Can you handle it?"

"I don't know… I'll need some time to think." He replied.

"We have six hours. If the auction proceeds as scheduled, it's most likely that the spiders will make they're move before then."

Gon was deep in thought. After a while, he seemed to come to a decision. He looked up at us and said, "Kurapika, put a Nen blade in me."

"But, Gon, Kurapika will die if he attacks a person who isn't a member of the Phantom Troupe." I reminded him. What the hell are you doing, Gon?

"Then, why does Kurapika have a Nen blade in him? He's not a spider." Gon pressed.

Kurapika sighed. "What I'm about to tell you will endanger me even further…"

"Okay, then." Leorio stood up and beckoned Killua and I to leave with him. We both stood up and exited the room. I waved goodbye at Gon and smiled.

* * *

Nah, we didn't really leave. We listened as Kurapika explained his powers.

In truth, only one of his chains is under the condition that states that he can only attack spiders – Chain Jail.

The chain that he uses to create his rules and conditions is called the "Judgement Chain". He can use that and the other three chains one those who aren't spiders.

Oh, and Kurapika can turn his eyes scarlet whenever he pleases, now. Once he's done so, he becomes a Specialist and can use any ability of his in full power. Cool!

The three of us rose from behind the sofa when he finished speaking. "Can you make four of those blades?" Killua asked.

"You can withdraw the rule once our mission is over, right?" Leorio added.

"You guys-!"

"We decided that, since we're a team, we should share the same fate. To put it bluntly, we're willing to die for you." I concluded.

"What do you say?"

"Yes and yes." He replied. "But, to your misfortune, I never had any intention of placing a Nen blade by your hearts."

"Then, why'd you tell us your secret?" Gon asked.

"I wanted to thank you all for your resolve. Even if one of you ends up telling my secret to anyone, I'll have no regrets." A dramatic pause. "I have good friends…"

"No fair… you're putting even more pressure on us this way." Gon complained.

"All the more reason for us to succeed," I said.

"Exactly," Kurapika agreed.

"Well, I'll be heading out." Killua announced.

"Good luck!" Gon called out.

"Don't worry. I've got this." He replied, looking back.

How many time have I risked my life, I wonder? It doesn't matter. I'd do anything to keep my friends safe.

* * *

**Rafie: Please, please, please gimme a review? -insert sad, puppy-dog face here-**


	40. At Hotel Beitacle

**Rafie: Crap! So sorry for the late update.**

* * *

It was fun - using my enhanced skills to jump from one building to another to keep up with the car, that is. My job was to keep an eye on Gon and make sure he's safe. Simple enough to understand. Execution is another story.

"What the hell? They just exited the car and…" I paused, watching Gon and Kurapika as they sprinted away from the vehicle. "Hey! Get back here!" I silently screamed. I knew they couldn't hear me. So, I had no choice but to follow them. I stopped three buildings away from them and strained my eyes. The boys – Kurapika, Gon and now, Killua were hiding behind a wall, from three other people – one with pink hair that was tied up into a ponytail, one who had a sheathed katana and, the one Gon once arm-wrestled with; she had glasses. They were spiders.

I should have jumped down and helped them, but Gon and Killua gave themselves up willingly. My instincts told me to follow them instead of attacking. Who goes against his own instincts?

* * *

I followed the three to our hotel's entrance. Leorio was inside. I decided to wait outside because I was afraid that I might arouse suspicion.

"Hey! Do you have any idea what time it is?!" I could hear Leorio's voice from outside the hotel. "It's Hotel Beitacle, you idiot! How many freaking times must I repeat myself?!" Wow, he's doing a really good job.

"Huh? What are you looking at?" he asked someone.

"Should I get rid of him?" a girl's voice asked. I held my breath and placed one hand on my boomerang.

"Ignore him." said a man's voice. I let out a sigh of relief. "Don't look at him."

"This ain't no show!" Leorio kept on screaming. What the hell is he trying to say? "Damn, my future's _dark_ because of these failures that work for me."

The dark.

"Listen up, ya twit. This once, I'll _close my eyes_ my eyes as if nothing happened. But, don't you DARE make the same mistake again!"

Close your eyes.

"You'd better be here by _seven o'clock sharp_ or else."

Seven o'clock.

_The lights'll go out by seven o'clock sharp so Gon and Killua will have to close their eyes in order for them to not be overwhelmed by the sudden darkness._

Nice going, Paladinight.

There were three minutes before seven when three more spiders arrived. I knew this because the girl who spoke a while ago acknowledged them.

"Got caught again, huh?" one of the newcomers asked, "Or did you change your minds and decide to join us?"

"We didn't know the reward was cancelled." Killua replied.

"Ah, so you WERE captured. It must be fate. Let's be friends, shall we?" the same voice said.

"No way. We only wanted the reward. Heck, I might vomit if I stare at your face any more."

"I agree."

I can guess that they closed their eyes.

"See what I mean, boss? Their attitudes remind me of Uvo."

"That's just because they're kids." said another girl's voice. "Tell us what the chain user looks like."

"No." said the first man, "First, Pakunoda, check their memories again."

The girl named Pakunoda complied. At the same time, the radio announced that there was only one minute left until seven.

"It's no use. Your power lets you draw memories out with a single touch, right. Well, we aren't hiding anything so-" I heard Killua gasp. What's going on in there?

"Even if we knew something, we could think about something irrelevant." Gon spoke up. A second later, I heard muffled words.

That bitch is hurting them.

"You've got it all wrong. I don't browse through the images that run through your mind. The question I ask stimulates your memory, stirring the dirt that's been collected in the depth. It's like the dust that swirls up when a pebble hits the sand in the bottom of a pond. The dust represents your unaltered memories. All I do is collect them. In other words, it's impossible to hide anything from me."

Pakunoda sighed. "Now, what are you hiding from me?"

Shit. She found out.

The radio announced that it was seven o'clock sharp.

And that's my cue. The lights went out and I dashed into the hotel. Taking my boomerang from its case, I aimed it at whatever held Gon and Killua in place and, fired. I heard the faintest snapping sound. That must have been it. I caught my boomerang and delivered a kick to a blonde troupe member's head right after Killua and Gon did.

When I looked up, I saw that Gon had been captured by that pink-haired girl. I threw my boomerang again. The man with the katana caught it before it could cut through whatever Gon was bound to. Killua was captured too. When Gon tried to save him, the same guy caught his leg and held him upside down.

"Crap," I dashed toward the man with the katana and swiped my boomerang from his hand.

"Val, retreat." said Kurapika from afar. His voice was so faint that I was lucky to even hear it. I cursed for the second time and ran out of the hotel, using Zetsu to cover my tracks. I jumped from one window to another and rested on a balcony at the second floor. I had to focus a lot just so I could hear the spiders speak.

Kurapika was able to capture their leader. After they did some planning, one of the spiders spoke to Gon and Killua, "You two have an accomplice, don't you?"

Silence.

"Nobunaga, search the hotel. If these two DO have an accomplice, it would be unwise to just let him go." Great, they know I'm here.

Three more spiders arrived and someone's phone rang.

"Hello?" said a new voice – a man's. "Chain user?" Kurapika was speaking on the other line. Sadly, I couldn't hear anything he said.

"The two hostages put up a fight and we had two break a few bones." I heard a long beep signalling that Kurapika hung up.

"Sorry, I was lying." He must have pressed the redial button. The phone was given to Pakunoda.

"Hello?" A long pause. It wasn't even dramatic anymore. Pakunoda must have been told to leave or something. "Yes… Yes… Alright." The phone was given to someone else.

"I'm here… Yes. Here, Pakunoda." The phone was given to Pakunoda once again.

"I understand." And at that, Kurapika hung up.

I saw Pakunoda leave the building. The remaining troupe members debated on whether they should follow her or go back to their hideout. Another cell phone rang.

"Hello?" The speaker snarled and the phone was handed to someone else.

"They are right now." It was Killua speaking. "But, they're talking about going after Pakunoda. Hey!" The cell phone must have been taken away from him.

"Watch your mouth, kid."

"We won't be able to follow Pakunoda now."

"Damn it!"

I was so focused on their conversation that I didn't hear that Nobunga guy when he entered the room and saw me sitting on the balcony. How stupid of me. "Hi," I said, waving at him.

"So that was your boomerang, huh?" he said, taking hold of his sword. At the same time, I held onto my boomerang, ready to take it out if I needed to.

* * *

**Rafie: Don't forget to review! :)**


	41. A Trade

**Rafie: I was on vacation last, last week and I was sick last week. Please forgive me for not updating that much. :((**

* * *

This guy is so annoying. He won't let me escape. His name's Nobunaga, right? Well, he won't stop not letting me get away. When I jump out the window, he pulls me back into the room. When I try to get out through the door, he blocks my way with his fancy sword.

"You're such a pain in the-" I never finished that sentence because I was too focused on slashing at him with my boomerang.

"I'm glad to know that we feel the same way about each other." He replied. What annoyed me the most was the fact that he wasn't even trying. He was just prancing around. It was as if he was just playing with me. Man, I feel like a weakling right now.

"Just let me go already!" I screamed, kicking his chin.

"Why should I?" He asked, laughing. "It'd be bad for us to let you go willie-nillie."

"You're not," I began, slashing my boomerang at him again. "Taking me…" He dodged the blade of my weapon every time I tried to cut him. I was getting so pissed.

"Seriously!" I screamed, finishing my sentence. Annoying, old man!

"You're a feisty one, aren't you? I'll have you know, if I took this seriously," In one swift movement, my back was to the wall and his blade was pressed against my neck. "You'd be dead by now."

I snarled.

"Huhu, you're coming with me, kid."

* * *

Sorry, Kurapika. Seems like I failed at my job. I was taken to the Troupe's hideout along with Gon and Killua.

"Nice going, Val." Killua said in an apathetic voice.

"Sure, rub it in, why don't ya?" I said, groaning.

"C'mon, it's not your fault, Valenia." Gon said, reassuring me.

Kurapika told us to just stay put. Help was on the way. I was tempted to bust free from the chains, but I knew better than to disobey Kurapika. Oh, and also, the whole Troupe was keeping an eye on us.

For now, the members were arguing over whether or not they should follow Pakunoda and confront Kurapika.

"It's useless." said one of them. He had black hair, pale skin, and he wore a long coat. His mouth was covered. "The chain user must have done something to her before she returned her. Pakunoda must be under his control. Why don't you just let me make her talk?" I could see him grinning sinisterly from behind his outfit.

"You honestly don't get it?" Gon asked in disbelief. "You don't understand why Pakunoda won't talk?"

They all glared at Gon.

"She wants to save your boss!" he said angrily. "Is it so hard to see the desire to save a friend?"

"Shut up, kid!"

I couldn't help but laugh. All eyes turned to me. "And here, I thought you guys were experts at reading people's feelings and fears…" I thought out loud. "How do you expect to beat the chain user when you can't even understand each other? That guy's one of the most complicated people I know. If you can't figure out one person's desire to do a selfless act, then you've got no chance against my buddy!" I laughed so hard that I began to cry. I've stumbled upon the weird side of myself again…

The spider who had spoken first, I'm assuming he's some sort of torturer, walked up to me and placed his hand on my throat. "Why waste your time trying to understand your enemy when you can simply manipulate his feelings and make him waltz right into the trap?" He smiled that creepy smile.

"To be able to manipulate a person, you need to UNDERSTAND how his brain works." I smiled as well. "Hello, earth to brain…" I said mockingly.

His grip tightened around my throat, but I didn't stop smiling.

"Let go of her!" Gon screamed from beside me. He broke away from his chains. Killua sighed and did the same.

"It's fine, Gon." I said, still smiling at the spider. "Tell the bad, bad people about Kurapika." I told him.

"R-right… K-Kurapika is nothing like you people. No matter how much he hates someone, he wouldn't go berserk and kill them just like that!"

My eyes turned to Gon. The smile disappeared from my face. He probably didn't realize it, but he just insulted me.

_When I hate someone, I would go berserk and kill them._

It's as if he just called me a spider. No, it's worse than that. He just called me a cold-blooded killer.

Who am I to feel sad upon hearing that? I AM a cold-blooded killer. I don't feel anything when I kill. Nothing at all.

"And if he makes a promise, he keeps his word. Pakunoda must have seen this when she first met him." Gon continued, "If you follow his conditions, I'm sure he'll give your boss back!"

"Don't think you can just say whatever you want, kid!"

"That's enough, Phinks, Feitan." A really big member of the troupe turned to Feitan and gave him a serious look. It said: 'let go of the girl already'. He did. I sighed and broke away from my chains.

In the end, the troupe agreed on letting Pakunoda leave with the three of us. We walked in the rain. It was way too silent for me even though the pitter-patter of the raindrops was deafening. Weird, huh?

"Ummm… why don't you run away?" Pakunoda asked us.

"Huh?"

"Given my injuries, you should be able to escape easily." She explained, "And I'd lose my leverage and the chain user will be able to kill the boss."

"Because we're his friends." Gon said, "We don't want him to kill anyone."

"So we'd prefer if this was settled peacefully." Killua added.

"Besides," I began, "If we ran away, wouldn't that mean we don't any faith in him?" I smiled.

* * *

We met with Kurapika at the top of a small plateau. "Alright, let's begin the exchange." He called out to us. We walked slowly to Kurapika's side and the leader of the Phantom Troupe made his way to Pakunoda. All went according to plan.

"Are you alright?" Kurapika asked us. The boys nodded and I gave a thumbs-up. I've got nothing more to worry about, for now.

* * *

"Damn, you're burning up." I said, placing my hand on Kurapika's forehead. "That's what you get for pushing yourself to the limit."

"For now, you should rest." Leorio said.

"But-" Kurapika began.

"No 'buts'." I said, "Get some rest!"

Kurapika laughed weakly. "Alright, alright, fine."

When Kurapika had finally fallen asleep, I left the room and sank down to the ground, thinking hard.

_You are a cold-blooded killer._

* * *

**Rafie: Should I make some sort of Christmas special..? **

**Valenia: Yeah! Make sure there's cake!**

**Gon: Yay, cake!**

**Killua: We're supposed to be in Greed Island. *facepalm***

**Gon: Hehe! Cake first, game later!**


	42. Self-Defence

**Rafie: Happy New Year, people! **

* * *

"Her heartbeat is that of a person who is deeply troubled. It shows the most when she's alone, like now. It's such a sad beat… all I hear is despair… not a single ray of sunshine." Melody gasped. "I'm sorry. I'm being too descriptive."

"No, no… It's alright."

Leorio had asked Melody to listen to my heartbeat. They were three rooms away. He probably thought I wouldn't hear him.

"You can hear them, can't you?" Kurapika asked. It was my turn to take care of him. I was supposed to be putting him to sleep, but the two in the other room were bothering me.

I stroked his hair. "Shouldn't you be asleep? You need the rest. You're leaving tomorrow, after all."

"… What are they saying?"

"Basically that my heartbeat reveals that I'm a very sad person," I said, "All Melody hears when she listens to my heartbeat is despair."

"Why can't you be happy?" Kurapika asked me. He seemed really concerned.

"I can't shake the thought that I'm just a cold-blooded killer." I lowered my head.

Kurapika put on a sad face. "I've told you. You're not like that. You've changed for the better."

"Then why do I still feel so sad? Wait… they're talking again." I listened closely.

"But, when she's with all four of you, her heartbeat changes almost immediately. When I listen to it, it's like that of a child when he arrives at an amusement park." Melody paused. "What I find most intriguing is when she's with you. When she's with all four of you, there are still hints of sadness here and there, yet when she spends time with only you, all the sadness vanishes."

"Really? Heh…"

"Take care of her." Melody said calmly.

My face turned red.

"Well? What did they say?" Kurapika asked.

"Go to sleep." I commanded him.

"What?"

"Go to sleep, Kurapika." I said again.

He sighed and closed his eyes.

"Well, at least I know I'm human." I whispered to myself, "Or, maybe I'm some sort of robot with feelings… nah. Human,"

* * *

The next day, just as scheduled, Kurapika and Melody left. Leorio and I went with them to the airport, right before they boarded the air ship, Leorio told Melody to keep a close watch on Kurapika.

"Take care of him, won't you? He seems calm and collected most of the time, but he can make some pretty rash decisions." He said.

Melody nodded. "I will. And Leorio,"

"Hm?"

"You have the most soothing heartbeat I've ever heard. You'd turn out to be a great doctor."

"He will be. Right, Leorio?" I turned to him.

He scratched his head in embarrassment. "Yeah, of course."

"Take care of Valenia." Melody said to Leorio.

"Yeah." He said, smiling at me.

* * *

"What?! What do you mean Kurapika left? And Zepile too?" Gon whined.

"Yeah, the old man and Valenia will be leaving too." Killua informed him.

"What? Why?" He whined even louder.

"Gon, Gon, calm down. I'd love to go into the Greed Island game with you two, but I gotta keep an eye on this guy."

"Did you just call me an old man again?" Leorio snarled at Killua.

"Hehe, homerun for the second time, Val?" Killua asked.

"Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!" My face turned red. It's been doing that a lot these days.

"Yes!" Leorio butted in.

"YOU shut up!" I screamed at him.

"What's a homerun?" Gon asked.

"AGH! Not this again!" The three of us screamed in unison.

* * *

Gon and Killua left that afternoon for their interview of some sort so they can get into Greed Island. Leorio and I had nothing to do in the hotel room. We sat on the floor, in the middle of a giant carpet.

"You know, I heard you and Melody yesterday. That thing about my heartbeat," I admitted.

"Really?" He looked surprised. I thought three rooms away would be enough."

"Leorio, I heard the spiders conversing at the ground floor while I was on the second floor. Of course, I'd hear you two from three rooms away." I chuckled.

"Right… stupid," He punched his head.

"We have two completely different heartbeats."

"Maybe that's the reason why the world threw you at me - so that I could heal you, or something?"

I clutched my chest tightly. "Does my heartbeat really sound like despair? Why can't I be happy? I escaped my past. I met you guys. I shouldn't be worrying about anything anymore! What the hell is wrong with me?" _You're a killer._

_You're a cold-blooded killer. You kill people mercilessly. You're nothing, but a killer._

"Shut up, shut up, shut up!" I screamed at myself, covering my ears.

"Valenia!" Leorio said, trying to bring me back to reality. He pulled me towards him and hugged me tightly.

"I may be human, but I'm still a killer." I muttered under my breath. I started crying.

"It's self-defence." Leorio said matter-of-factly. "You were pushed to the point that you had to kill because they were doing something cruel to you.

"Like I always say, you didn't deserve any of the cruelty thrown at you. I'm not surprised that you came out and killed those who opposed you, in the end. It's human intuition – a defence mechanism that we all have."

"But-"

"No 'buts'. You did all those things because you needed to. You wanted to live life like a human should – no chains to bind you. All those people you disposed of deserved to die - your master, those hitmen, the other masters you killed…

"The point is: You've achieved what you've been fighting for. You've earned the freedom graced upon you." He kissed my forehead. "Can't you just enjoy it? Please?"

I nodded, wiping tears away from my face.

"You know, I hate seeing you sad. I wish I could've deciphered your heartbeat long ago. That way, I'd be able to make you happy." He laughed. "Haha, I guess that means I love you, huh?"

"Yeah…" I murmured. "I love you, too…"

* * *

**Rafie: So guys, this may or may not be the last chapter of Slave Days. If I come up with some cool story for Val, then I'll write some more. But, for now, I guess this story is on hiatus. If the status of the story changes to 'Complete', you know what's coming. **

**Thank you so much for all the feedback and support! I really appreciate it. **

**I love you guys! 3**

**Until next time :)**

**"Good evening, gentlemen. It was nice playing with you." -the violinist in "Titanic" **


End file.
